Distressing body cam footage has captured the moment a Oklahoma father is body slammed by police officers, while he is autistic son stands near and cries out.
John Sexton had been on his regular 6am walk with his 6-year-old son, also named John, when they were stopped by two officers in Watonga earlier this month.
The two officers, who both wore body cameras, captured the tense few moments between the cops and Sexton, who told officers they were ‘just walking around’.
One of the officers can be heard telling the elder Sexton: ‘Just found it a little suspicious, you know?’
Clearly confused, Sexton responds saying: ‘What? Walking around is a little bit suspicious?’
John Sexton had been on his regular morning walk with his 6-year-old son, also named John, when the pair were stopped by two officers in Watonga
The officer can be heard telling him: ‘I’ll take you to jail for failure to identify’, before the officer then body slams Sexton the ground and detains him
The officer then respond: ‘Technically, not really. But I mean, it is pretty early in the morning.’
According to Sexton, the morning walk is something that he and his young son do regularly.
Despite his protests, one of the officers can be heard forcibly telling the dad: ‘No you’re not. Give me your ID.’
Sexton then turns out the pockets of the shorts he is wearing, telling them: ‘I don’t have my ID on me because it is at the house.’
The officer can be heard telling him: ‘I’ll take you to jail for failure to identify’, before the officer then body slams Sexton the ground and detains him.
His young son can be heard wailing in the background as the violent scene unfolds in front of him.
The footage continues inside the squad car, where Sexton is told: ‘Shut up and listen just a minute. We had small enough suspicion to identify you.’
His young son can be heard wailing in the background as the violent scene unfolds in front of him
According to Sexton, his young son has never been the same since the incident in early July
When he questions why he was being detained, he is told: ‘We don’t know what you were doing. We can call it criminal activity’, before he is eventually let go.
Speaking with KOCO, Sexton told the outlet that he is now looking to press charges against the officers.
According to Sexton, his young son has never been the same since, saying: ‘He’s been a cop for Halloween for the last two years.
‘That’s what he’s been wanting to be when he grows up. That’s what he says, and now he’s scared of them.
‘I mean, it’s horrible to see my son act, you know, crying like that and just having my rights violated like that.’
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations is now looking into whether this was justified.
Watonga police said they would not comment on the incident.
