LOGANVILLE, Georgia - July 26, 2011 - A man says he called Loganville, Georgia police to his home for help and ended up being beaten by officers. Kenny Dixon said he arrived home on a recent night to find that his son had committed suicide.
Crews responded to the emergency, but Dixon said police made one of his family's darkest days even worse by attacking and then arresting him. Dixon had black eyes and scrapes on his face, injuries he said he received in addition to his broken heart.
The Loganville man said he found his stepson dead inside his garage. The 24-year-old had committed suicide. "I tried to do CPR on him and couldn't bring him back. I yelled for people in the neighborhood to call 911," said Dixon.
When police and emergency crews arrived, Dixon said paramedics took over the rescue effort.
"I left the garage (and) walked to the front door. One of the police officers came up behind me, grabbed my arm, and said, 'You need to sit down.' I jerked my arm away from him and said, 'Don't touch me.' That's all I said to the man, and he tackled me," Dixon said.
Dixon said other officers then joined in and two allegedly held him down, while two others punched him in the face.
"I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on over there," said neighbor, Lisa Neighbors, who said she woke up to screaming and looked outside. "They were just (hitting) him, punching him and punching him. It was awful."
"I never once resisted them, I didn't swing at them, I didn't cuss them, I didn't do anything to deserve what they did to me!" exclaimed Dixon.
Dixon said officers put him in a police car and took him to jail. The Loganville man was charged with felony obstruction.
Loganville police officials called the incident a "regrettable situation." The chief of police said he called in the GBI to investigate and that his agency had nothing to hide.
Dixon filed a complaint and he and his neighbors said they were disgusted and want some answers. "How could Loganville do that? How could they beat up on somebody that just came home and found (his) son (hanged)?" asked Neighbors.
Loganville police leaders said the four officers involved were still working. It's not clear how long the GBI investigation will take.
