A black Alabama man who was tasered by a white officer has been released from prison and his lawyer plans to file a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
Officer Dana Elmore was seen on camera cursing and tasing Micah Washington, 24, with a stun gun while he was in handcuffs.
He was arrested at the Pickens County Sheriff's Office jail on December 2 on a $505,000 bond, and his stone-faced mugshot has since been released.
Once arrested, Washington was charged with obstructing government operations, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm by an ex-felon.
He was also charged with trafficking in fentanyl, but the charge and associated $500,000 bond were dropped after “further investigation” revealed the substance in his possession was not the opioid drug.
His attorney, Leroy Maxwell, paid the remaining $5,000 for his release on Dec. 5 and said Washington was changing a tire when the officer stopped and asked for identification.
After his release, Maxwell plans to file a $20 million lawsuit on Washington's behalf.
Officer Dana Elmore was seen on camera cursing and tasing Micah Washington, 24, with a stun gun while he was in handcuffs
Elmore, who came from the Reform Police Department in Pickens County, has since been placed on leave
The video shows Elmore yelling at Washington to lie on the front of the vehicle, face down, while he was handcuffed.
As she begins to search the man's pockets, she holds a stun gun to his back.
As his body lies against the front of the car, the police officer tells him to “stay still.”
The man then replies, “I'm not doing anything, bro. I have a gun there.”
The smiling officer grabs the gun in the handcuffed man's pocket before saying “oh yeah” and stabbing the stun gun into his back.
She shouts, 'Shut up.' The man can be heard wailing and crying as he repeatedly says in pain, “Oh my God.”
The officer continues and says, “Do you want it again?” He cries, while she says, “Shut up.”
Elmore, who came from the Reform Police Department in Pickens County, has since been placed on leave.
As his body lies against the front of the car, Elmore tells him to 'stay still'
She shouts, 'Shut up.' The man can be heard whining and crying as he repeatedly says in pain, “Oh my God.”
The officer continues and says, “Do you want it again?” He cries, while she says, 'Shut up'
Washington's girlfriend, Jalexis Rice, said the incident escalated quickly and there was nothing she could do at this point.
“I couldn't do anything but cry,” said Rice, who was in the car at the time of the incident ABC News.
Washington's brother Shikeem Washington captured most of the incident on film. The video was shared widely on social media, sparking an angry response.
His mother, Toris Washington, told ABC she is glad the situation did not escalate further.
“Mothers with young black sons, please talk to them about situations like this, it's important. I thank God that the situation has not become worse.”
Reform Police Chief Richard Black and Mayor Melody Davis said they were aware of the video.
They called it a “citizen's arrest” and confirmed it took place on Saturday.
Micah Washington's girlfriend, Jalexis Rice, from Alabama, claims he was changing a tire when he was approached by a white officer who tased him at close range
The statement read: “The Reform Police is aware of a video circulating about the arrest of a citizen on December 2.
“The department is in the process of turning over all materials related to this arrest to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation and has requested a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest.”
“In accordance with city policy, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation.”
Elmore was previously honored by Pickens Country Sheriff Office after helping save the life of a two-week-old baby.
She managed to revive an unconscious child through CPR and received a Life Saver Award for her 'outstanding performance'.
On December 4, a rally was organized outside the Reform Municipal Building to protest Elmore's response.
