Lauderhill police officer deploys Taser during arrest of NFL player's brother

Cleveland Thomas, 21, arrested on armed robbery charges

LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A South Florida family is demanding answers after a Lauderhill police officer deployed a Taser on the brother of Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman.

Cleveland Thomas was arrested Monday by Lauderhill police on two counts of robbery with a firearm and two counts of resisting an officer with violence.

Family friend and community activist Tangela Sears said Thomas has never been in trouble before.

"Eight officers came into the house and tasered one man that's probably 100 pounds, and we can't understand what was the cause of tasering him," she said.

Sears said the charges against Thomas are false, and that the incident stemmed from a false call his girlfriend made to the police after the two got into a fight.

"At the scene, the girlfriend began to tell the truth, but I guess everything had already taken place," she said.

Police have a different version of events, and said that they didn't go to Thomas' house for a fight with his girlfriend, but that he had a warrant out for his arrest.

According to an arrest report, Thomas refused multiple commands to put his hands behind his back and yelled, "I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything," as he tried to re-enter his bedroom.

Police said Thomas pushed officers away as they tried to take him into custody and back-up officers were called in to assist the officers at the scene.

Police said they gave Thomas multiple warnings that he would be stunned with a Taser if he continued being hostile with officers.

According to the report, a relative tried to assist police in putting Thomas' hands behind his back, but was unsuccessful.

But police said relatives began yelling at them once they threatened to stun Thomas and claimed that he didn't have any warrants out for his arrest.

One officer eventually deployed his Taser to give Thomas a "five second burst," but it was ineffective. After giving Thomas a second five second burst, officers saw that only one prong had struck Thomas and he was able to pull it out of his lower abdomen, the report said.

Sears said Thomas was taken to a hospital with an irregular heartbeat, but it took hours for the family to learn which hospital he was at.

Lauderhill police Major Rick Rocco said it is standard procedure to take a suspect to the hospital after a Taser deployed, even if that person was not shocked. He said Thomas was observed at the hospital for a condition found during the exam that was unrelated to his arrest.

The family is now asking for a public apology and an investigation into whether or not the officers used excessive force.

"We just don't need these types of things happening -- police going and tasering young men that they can actually hold down," Sears said.

Thomas appeared in court Wednesday, where he was ordered to be held without bond.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.