CHATTOOGA COUNTY, Ga. — Video shows the moments before police tased a man who had crashed his ATV and suffered a head injury.
Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco talked to JJ Cunnigham’s family members, who said they called police – then ended up in jail.
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The accident happened on May 16 on State Line Road in Chattooga County.
Cunningham’s mother, Carmen Cunningham, said her daughter called to say JJ had fallen off the four-wheeler and hit his head. His friend called 911 and did chest compressions.
When JJ woke up, he wouldn’t get in the ambulance.
“He was conscious but highly confused due to the head injury,” the family’s lawyer, Terance Madden said.
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According to an incident report, paramedics called for deputies because Cunningham hit them.
JJ’s family arrived at the scene immediately, where they waited for Chattooga County deputies and Georgia State Patrol to get there.
“I knew we were waiting on help, waiting on the officers to hold him, give him a shot, sedate him, calm him down,” his mother said. “It didn’t go that way.”
Video shows the chaotic scene outside the ambulance, where deputies and a trooper wrestled JJ to the ground and held him in a headlock while family members screamed and pleaded with officers to let him go.
‘He’s got a head injury!” A woman screams in the video. “Let his head go! Don’t tase him, he’s got a head injury!”
Video captures one of the officers yelling, “Taser! Taser! Taser!”, and then the sounds of JJ screaming.
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“He was just screaming, in so much pain,” his mother said.
Officers then wrestle him to the ground again and appear to be trying to secure him.
“This man’s head is already fractured at least once, and again, they slammed him to the ground,” Madden said. “That could have been the second fracture.”
In the background of the video, you can see deputies arrest Carmen Cunningham, her husband and daughter.
“They put me in the police car,” Cunningham said. “I could see his little legs just flopping around I knew they were wrestling with him. And I kept saying, He’s got a head injury! Please, he’s got a head injury. He’s not like this! He’s not aggressive. It’s a head injury.’”
The family bonded out of jail 13 hours later. JJ has been in the hospital ever since in a sedated state with two skull fractures, brain bleeding and swelling.
Madden said the video is proof that the officers used excessive force.
According to Georgia State Patrol, the trooper was told he was responding to a combative person who hit an EMT and was actively fighting a deputy. The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office said deputies suspected he was drunk and on drugs, but may drop charges in light of his extensive injuries.
“I couldn’t do anything to stop it,” Crawford said. “I couldn’t do anything to help it.”
The Sheriff’s Office has not responded to requests for reports regarding the mother, father and sister’s arrests.
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