Passengers walking through the Dallas Love Field Airport over the weekend witnessed a group of officers confronting a Black man. However, the way the dramatic scene unfolded left a lot of them frightened and downright confused. Thankfully, the man’s plea for a video recording of the incident was heard.
An Instagram video of the incident showed a Black man being handcuffed and Tased by a group of officers at a Southwest Airlines’ gate. The video was posted by a woman sitting in the waiting area by the boarding gate.
“This man said he was being framed and [asked] to film. I later overheard that a lady was misheard by the officers and they went straight into action when they assumed ‘white powder was involved.’ I hope what she really said goes back to the cops that took him away,” read her video’s caption.
In the clip, the man shouted toward the crowd, demanding someone record the incident while asserting his innocence. “Somebody tape this. I didn’t do nothing. My name is Michael Singleton,” he shouted.
Police then barked back at him that he had warrants. However, Singleton told the officers the one warrant he had was for a traffic ticket. Suddenly, while standing still — with his hands behind his back — one officer deployed a Taser on him, sending a ripple of shocked gasps and panic across the crowd of bystanders, per the video.
Singleton fell to the ground, still shouting his personal information including his name and birthday, per the video. In response to his declaration about his traffic warrant, the police said they were investigating it. However, Singleton shouted back that the cops accused him of possessing cocaine.
“I’m not a drug dealer!” he shouted while the cops handcuffed him. “I had my hands behind my back and didn’t even f*****g move. And I was f*****g electrocuted!”
The officers then picked Singleton off the floor and put him in a wheelchair before moving him from the flight’s gate as he shouted expletives at them. Another Instagram user later identified Singleton as Chef Mezzie of SoulHeartedCatering LLC., a traveling cook based out of both Oakland and Dallas. The user said Singleton contacted him following the incident.
“Mike contacted me on FB tonight after I share this post earlier. He is free and okay at the moment. The charges have been dropped including resisting arrest. He is lawyered up and it is in the courts hands now,” read user’s the post.
Another user, who identified themselves as Singleton’s daughter, further defended the chef, saying the cops allegedly confronted him about narcotics. She confirmed his traffic warrant was for an unpaid ticket.
The chef himself has not released a statement in connection to the incident yet. It’s still unclear who tipped off the police about alleged drug possession.