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The Beaumont, Texas chapter of the NAACP is expected to file a lawsuit calling for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to release video footage that attorneys say shows an officer paralyzing a Black man in custody.
In the suit, NAACP Beaumont will seek the video release of the June 12, 2021 encounter between Beaumont Police Officer James Gillen and Christopher Shaw at the Jefferson County jail, per the Beaumont Enterprise.
Shaw was initially taken to the Jefferson County jail after being arrested for public intoxication. While in jail, a "scuffle" allegedly occurred between Gillen and Shaw before the officer "reached for him and attempted to slam him on the concrete," according to the attorney Chance Lynch. Both of the men fell to the ground, and at least three deputies from the jail came to assist.
Shaw landed on his head, breaking seven portions of his neck and leaving him paralyzed. The incident was captured on video viewed by attorneys but unreleased to the public.
Shaw previously filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Beaumont, Gillen, the sheriff's office, and the county jail's medical contractor, CorrHealth. Last week, Shaw retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump to join the case.
“The Beaumont Police and Jefferson County Sheriff’s office are prosecuting the man they paralyzed, and they’re hiding the truth from the public,” Crump said in a news release. “If this were a bank robbery, a hit and run, or even a convenience store hold-up, they would have released this video two years ago. The only difference is that, in this case, the suspect is wearing a badge.”
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