Source: Kansas City Star / Mollie Ponds & Rev. Vernon Howard Jr.
A young Black woman from Kansas City claims she was “beaten” and called an “animal” by several off-duty police officers during an arrest at the Power and Light District last week.
According to the Kansas City Star , Daysheion Renee Ponds, says she suffered a concussion, memory loss, a swollen eye and a bruised face after she was tackled to the ground by KCPD officers.
“I’m 5’2” and I’m under 150 pounds,” Ponds told the Star. “I was no threat, I couldn’t have hurt them in any way and the whole time that they were hitting on me and beating me. I was in handcuffs, so I couldn’t have done anything extreme to them.”
Cellphone video of the incident, which was obtained by the Star , also reveals officers yelling at Ponds, “If you act like an animal, we’re going to treat you like an animal.”
On Jan. 28, Daysheion Ponds was arrested after she had an argument with a bartender who said she did not pay for a drink. Ponds said she was charged for a drink she says she never received. She also says she gave the bartender her card, but it declined when he tried to charge her. The bartender then called the security guards and off-duty officers to confront Pond.