There’s no shortage of outrageous behavior from law enforcement, but this recent incident in Texas might just be one of the worst yet. A TikToker by the name @outbeg.datumhm.484 uploaded a video showing a disturbing interaction between Texas police officers and a group of civilians pulled over on the side of the road. Among them was a paralyzed man who quickly became the center of the confrontation.
The group had been stopped for unclear reasons, though many online speculate it was due to a busted tag light. There were two men and one woman in the car. The police claimed to suspect marijuana and demanded everyone step out so they could search the vehicle. While the able-bodied passengers complied, the paralyzed man informed the officers that he physically could not walk and had no wheelchair with him. Despite this, a Texas officer kept repeating that he needed to get out of the car, showing zero concern or flexibility in handling the situation.
Growing frustrated, the paralyzed man asked for the officer’s badge number, likely preparing to file a complaint about the mistreatment. But rather than responding, the officer continued issuing commands. With no support or assistance offered, the paralyzed man was ultimately forced to crawl out of the car and lay on the ground. As he voiced his anger and humiliation, one Texas officer added insult to injury by saying, “If you want to crawl, crawl yourself over that way, sir.” The paralyzed man chose to remain seated on the pavement, right next to the open car door, refusing to move any further.
The video quickly gained traction on TikTok, with Part 2 of the series racking up over 100,000 likes. Countless users criticized the Texas officer for his cold, uncaring, and unnecessarily harsh treatment of the paralyzed man. One commenter simply put, “Cop is in the wrong 100%.” Others expressed sympathy for the paralyzed man, understanding his frustration and pain over the way he was treated. One user wrote, “This is sad. The man told you he can’t walk and he still has to get out? My word.”
Many found it enraging that the officer had the nerve to tell the man to crawl if he wanted to comply. At one point, the officer even asked how the man was able to drive if he couldn’t use his legs, revealing a clear lack of awareness. While not common knowledge to everyone, paralyzed individuals can and do drive using assistive devices such as adapted driving controls. One TikTok user chimed in, saying, “The amount of people not knowing there are literal steering wheel controls for disabled drivers is astounding. Kids I get not knowing this, but full-grown adults asking ‘hUrR hOw iS hE dRiViNg iF hE cAn’T uSE hiS LeGs’, y’all are so ridiculous. 😭😂”
