Distressed Oklahoma father is filmed being arrested and bodyslammed by cop for appalling reason as confused autistic son sobs beside him
Shocking bodycam footage captured the moment an Oklahoma father was beaten to the body by police officers as his autistic son stood by and screamed.
John Sexton was walking with his 6-year-old son, also named John, at 6am when they were stopped by two officers in Watonga earlier this month.
The two officers, both wearing body cameras, captured the tense moments between the officers and Sexton, who told the officers they were “just walking around.”
One of the officers can be heard saying to the elder Sexton, “I just thought it was a little suspicious, you know?”
Clearly confused, Sexton replies, “What? Walking around is a little suspicious?”
John Sexton was on his usual morning walk with his 6-year-old son, also named John, when the pair were stopped by two officers in Watonga
The officer can be heard telling him, “I’m taking you to jail for failing to identify yourself,” before the officer body-slams Sexton to the ground and arrests him.
The officer then replies, “Technically, not really. But I mean, it’s pretty early in the morning.”
According to Sexton, the morning walk is something he and his son do regularly.
Despite his protests, one of the officers can be heard forcibly telling the father, “No, you’re not. Give me your ID.”
Sexton then opens the pockets of the shorts he’s wearing and says, “I don’t have my ID on me because it’s in the house.”
The officer can be heard telling him, “I’m taking you to jail for failing to identify yourself,” before slamming Sexton to the ground and arresting him.
In the background, the cries of his young son can be heard as the violent scene unfolds before him.
The footage continues inside the police car, where Sexton is told, “Shut up and listen for a minute. We had enough suspicion to identify you.”
His young son can be heard crying in the background as the violent scene plays out before him
According to Sexton, his young son has not been the same since the incident in early July
When he asks why he was being held, he is told, “We don’t know what you did. We can call it criminal activity,” before eventually being released.
Speak with KOCOSexton told the newspaper that he now plans to file charges against the officers.
Sexton says his son hasn’t been the same since then, saying, “He’s been a Halloween police officer for the past two years.
‘That’s what he wants to be when he grows up. That’s what he says, and now he’s afraid of them.
“I mean, it’s horrible to see my son acting like that, you know, crying like that and having my rights violated like that.”
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations is now investigating whether this was justified.
Watonga police said they would not comment on the incident.