It was obvious to the store clerk who called the police on Rodney Harmon that the Black man was suffering from possible mental health issues when he walked out of the store with a gallon of milk and a can of beer without paying, claiming he owned the store in Florida.
And it should have been obvious to the two Ocala police officers who responded to the scene, because Harmon was talking gibberish and making little sense.
The 62-year-old homeless man was drinking the beer while standing outside the store when Ocala police officer Kristen Whitston tried to wrestle it from his hands, but he did not want to let it go.
Ocala police officer Dalton Ower then came running up, twisting Harmon’s arm behind his back before slamming him to the ground and sitting on top of him, causing the beer to splatter on both officers…