PALM BAY, Fla. – Civil rights attorney Ben Crump held a news conference on Wednesday to “call for accountability” from the Palm Bay police department and push for charges to be filed against an officer who he says left a man paralyzed after using a Taser on him earlier this year.
On Wednesday, Crump released body cam video showing the incident.
“This action left (Thomas) Farley paralyzed from the neck down,” Crump’s release reads. “The video footage shows Officer Mitchell’s use of force. A police officer is heard on video saying the men committed no crimes.”
According to a case report released to News 6 on Wednesday, the incident happened on June 29 in the area of Tree Ridge Lane and Forrest Knoll Drive NE. Police responded about a group of suspicious people hanging around the area and being aggressive towards customers at a Circle K gas station. When officers arrived, the individuals allegedly ran off.
While searching the area, police located a man wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants bedded down between a fence and using a tree branch to conceal himself, according to the report. When the man realized he was spotted by police, he stood up and jumped over the fence into the gated community of Forrest Knoll, the report states.
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According to the case report, after the defendant was seen jumping back over the fence and onto the Circle K side, a police officer gave verbal commands to the defendant to stop running. The officer then warned that if the man didn’t stop running, he would deploy his Taser. At that point, as the defendant continued to attempt to jump the fence, the officer reportedly deployed his Taser multiple times. Due to the Taser allegedly not having any effect, the officer deployed it one final time as the defendant placed his hands and feet on the fence.
Due to the weight of the defendant, the man fell forward, causing the fence to break and the defendant to fall face-forward onto the ground, the report states. The report claims only one Taser probe made contact with Farley’s skin and the other probes caught his clothing.
After the defendant was detained, police were able to identify him as Thomas Farley. During a medical exam with first responders, Farley complained of injuries and was later transported to the hospital as a trauma alert. A doctor later determined that the injuries Farley received from his fall were a C-spine fracture and a possible broken neck.
While at the hospital, police found a white powdery substance inside Farley’s wallet. The substance was later tested positive for MDMA and weighed .7 grams, according to the report
Farley faces multiple charges including drug possession and resisting an officer without violence.
“If any charges should be brought, it should be against the officer, not against this man laying in the hospital across the street, unable to move his legs and trying to use his hands, learning how to just live again, where his mother and the nurses have to feed him, bathe him, clean him, help him use the bathroom,” Crump said during Wednesday’s news conference. “It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
Farley’s mother visited her paralyzed son at the hospital just before the news conference.
“I’ve been here feeding him, and it breaks my heart,” Pam Farley said. “The boy’s 32, and he doesn’t even want to live. Randomly, he says, ‘Just take my life. Just let me go.’ And I will not let that happen because that’s my child,” she said.
When News 6 reporter James Sparvero asked Crump to respond to those who might think Farley would be OK had he not run, Crump answered, “When minorities interact with police officers, it normally doesn’t end up well.”
Attorney Natalie Jackson also of Ben Crump Law added, “Whether they run or not.”
Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello released a statement to News 6 Wednesday. He says that while he can’t directly respond to the news conference, he can speak to the facts of the case itself.
“At approximately 11:42pm on June 28, 2024, the Palm Bay Police Department received a call about a group of suspicious individuals being aggressive towards customers at the Circle K gas station at 4950 Babcock St NE. When officers arrived at the location, the individuals fled on foot at the sight of officers. One individual, Thomas Farley, jumped over the fence into a gated community and concealed himself in a bed of bushes. He then jumped back over the fence and began to run away from officers; refusing to comply with their requests for him to stop running. Another officer identified himself as police and made verbal contact with Farley to stop running. Farley refused to comply and jumped over a fence. After Farley refused to comply with several verbal commands to stop, the officer legally deployed his department issued taser. Farley was then taken into police custody and given medical attention.
It is always a difficult situation whenever an officer is involved in an incident where force must be used, and an injury occurs. The Palm Bay Police Department is committed to upholding the constitution, state law, policy, and procedures while providing for the safety of our community. As a department that values integrity and complete transparency, we are releasing the following statement on behalf of Chief Mario Augello:
"When an officer uses any force on an individual, a complete review is conducted that includes reviewing all body camera footage and every written report including all supplemental ones. This case is no different. The moment my office was notified of this incident a thorough examination was conducted through our Professional Standards Division and our Training Sergeant who is a Master Taser Instructor. After an extensive review, it was determined that the officer legally and justifiably used his taser. The officer followed departmental policy, procedure and Florida State Statute.
"The Palm Bay Police Department will continue serving our community with integrity, honor, and respect. We are committed to ensuring any incident involving a use of force is thoroughly reviewed and officers are held accountable for their actions."
Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Augello
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