HERRIN, Ill. (WSIL) -- A fun-filled family night flipped into a frightening experience for 28-year old Kiveon Crawford of Herrin.
Crawford was driving with his fiancee and two children after a night of bowling when Herrin Police officers flashed their lights at his vehicle just before midnight last Saturday.
Officers tried to stop Crawford because he was driving with a damaged light according to police chief David Dorris. Police followed Crawford for three blocks before he stopped at his home. Police warned Crawford and his fiance to stay in the vehicle.
"Get in the car," one officer says in body camera footage released by police. Crawford appears to respond 'No', and the officer retorted with 'Alright.' After numerous commands for Crawford to return to his vehicle failed, one officer approaches Crawford to handcuff him.
One cuff on Crawford, the officer asks Crawford for his other hand to which Crawford replied 'Let me call my brother'. The officer shouted 'Put your hands behind your back or you're going to get (hit with a stun gun).' A second officer comes to assist in handcuffing Crawford. A third officer runs over, with Crawford still standing, and uses a stun gun on him until he hits the ground.
'He just had a vasectomy done!' screamed his fiance, whom police identified as Cabrenna Roberts. Roberts filmed two videos that were posted to Crawford's Facebook page on Monday. Police briefly detained Roberts that night and released her at the scene. On Wednesday, Crawford told News 3 he was still shaken up about the incident
"I feel traumatized," Crawford said. "It's mentally messing me up. It's messing with my family really bad."
Chief Dorris says he stands by the officers' actions and adds that suspects who don't comply 'raises red flags'.
"We don't know what's inside that vehicle. We don't know why it took him so long to stop," Dorris said. "There's so many things that are going through an officer's mind."
Dorris says a stun gun was used on Crawford because he didn't comply and suggests others follow police orders in order to avoid escalating a situation.
"How about people out there in the public comply?", Dorris said. "It's not time to hold court on the side of the road, it's time to hold court at the courthouse."
But Crawford thinks he was pulled over not because of his lights but because of his skin color and is now afraid of driving through town. Crawford is now trying to find a lawyer who could build a case against Herrin Police.
"They were just messing because I feel like I was just driving while Black," Crawford said. "I feel everytime I see [Herrin Police] I jump, I'm looking over my shoulder."
Chief Dorris doesn't believe any charges would come from Crawford's potential lawsuit. He adds that the traffic stop wasn't racially motivated.
"Mr. Crawford does not need to look over his shoulder and be worried about the Herrin Police Department," Dorris siad. "There was no racial profiling, no racial bias."
Crawford faces charges for driving with a damaged light and obstructing or resisting arrest.
