Galveston activist demands the firing of two police officers who led a Black man on a leash

A Galveston activist wants the police to be held accountable for the inhumane way a mentally ill man was hauled off to jail on a leash by two officers on horseback.

“I was appalled,” said community activist Corlie Jackson. “It was totally unacceptable.”

—SHOCKING: Black man in Texas led by white police officers on horses with leash—

Donald Neely, 43, was identified as the Black man in viral photos walking leashed alongside two police officers as they escorted him to jail. He had been arrested on charges of criminal trespass.

The Galveston Police Department has since been hit with a barrage of complaints about the photo.

While Jackson says she supports the Galveston Police efforts to keep law and order, she says it was inhumane for them to lead Neely down the street for all to see and she wants the officers fired, KHOU reports.

“It is not acceptable to have someone chained up, whether handcuffed or whatever, with a rope and walking them down the middle of the street,” said Jackson.

“They need to be fired.”

The Police chief, Vernon L. Hale, III  released a statement and apologized about the way officers P. Brosch and A. Smith treated Neely.

“First and foremost I must apologize to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment. Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of arrest. My officers did not have any malicious intent at the time of the arrest, but we have immediately changed the policy to prevent the use of this technique and will review all mounted training and procedures for more appropriate methods.”

—Oprah Winfrey weighs in on mass shootings—

But Jackson said the apology is not enough.

“They need to be dealt with,” said Jackson. “If, for no other reason, than to send the message that in Galveston, here in this place, it is unacceptable to treat someone like that.”

The Anti-Defamation League has also weighed in and is demanded an investigation into the matter.

Neely’s sister, Taranette Neely told The New York Times that her 43-year-old suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia brother and the insensitive cops “should have never did what they did, put a black man in between two horsemen that are white.”

The family has reportedly hired an attorney.