Eugene police used a Taser and pepper spray during the arrest of a Black man driving a red Tesla on Wednesday afternoon, with an intense debate following online after a Reddit post alleged the man was wrongfully beaten and maced.
The man, identified as Mario “Rio” McWilliams, 55, the co-owner of Equinox Clinics , was later charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, speeding and resisting arrest.
McWilliams claims he was sitting inside his vehicle when officers tased and pepper-sprayed him before pulling him out of the car and dragging him across the ground. He said he suffered minor head wounds, back injuries and numbness in his hands, which prevented him from returning to work Thursday.
“Can you imagine George Floyd? I thought I was going to die,” McWilliams said in an interview with The Register-Guard. “I thought they were going to kill me.”
Eugene police arrest of Black man sparks online debate
The incident has prompted widespread discussion online, with community members debating police actions and the accuracy of the Reddit user’s claims.