Alec Spicer
Police Were Cheering And Laughing As A Dallas Man Was Left Bleeding On The Sidewalk After Being Shot In The Eye With A Projectile.
Graphic photos and videos of a 26-year-old Dallas man named Brandon Saenz have made the rounds on social media lately, in which he can be seen lying on the sidewalk, bleeding from the face.
On May 30, during a police brutality peaceful protest in Downtown Dallas, Saenz was shot with a “less than lethal” projectile by police, resulting in the loss of his left eye, seven teeth and a fractured left side of his face.
The case of violence against Saenz, a black man, comes as reports of excessive force used on protesters have made headlines across the nation. In Sacramento, a woman was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet a day before Saenz at a peaceful protest, leaving her blind in her left eye. A photojournalist, while covering the protests in Minneapolis where police killed George Floyd, was also shot, and now blind in one eye.
In a special session on Friday, Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall told Dallas City Council she was unaware of what types of projectiles have been used on Dallas protesters in recent weeks.
What’s particularly alarming about Saenz’s case, though, is the footage of police seemingly celebrating after he was shot.
As Saenz lie bleeding out on the sidewalk while several bystanders try to aid him, police just a couple hundred feet away can be heard laughing and cheering, “America! Fuck yeah!”
It’s quite jarring, to say the least.
This might not come as a surprise to those familiar with the department’s history, however. Last summer DPD was among several police departments across the country that was found to have officers who publicly shared anti-protest, violent and racist sentiments. Still, it is all the more disturbing to see such hate put into practice.
The name of the officer who shot Saenz, and the law enforcement agency he belongs to, remains unknown. DPD says it is investigating the situation. Saenz’s mother has started a GoFundMe to help with his ongoing surgeries and health needs caused by police.
Video courtesy of A. Farooq.
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