Shutterstock
A father is seeking an apology from Brighton police after they handcuffed him in front of his 6-year-old daughter.
And the reason for handcuffing him? Because the police say that he and his family broke social distancing guidelines.
Matt Mooney was playing tee-ball with his wife and daughter at Donelson Park when three police officers approached them. According to FOX31 Problem Solvers, he refused to provide identification to the officers.
Mooney said he refused to do so because he was confident that he hadn’t broken any rules.
Speaking of his daughter, he said, “She’s like, ‘Daddy, I don’t want you to get arrested.’ At this point, I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way they’re going to arrest me, this is insane.’”
“I’m telling her, ‘Don’t worry, Daddy’s not going to get arrested. I’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t worry about it,’ and then they arrest me.”
Related: Coronavirus: Police Arresting People for Being Too Close
Kirby Wallin, a former Brighton City Councilman, recorded the incident on his cellphone. He narrated the event, saying: “He’s being taken by the Brighton police for playing softball with his daughter in an empty park.”
During an interview with the Problem Solvers, Wallin said, “I find it hard to believe with all of the things going on in our communities, the only way to resolve a situation like this was to handcuff a father in front of his daughter.”
A posted sign at the park read, “Closed.” However, the small print alongside it read: “In groups of no more than 4 persons, parks remain open for walking, hiking, biking, running, and similar activities.”
Mooney had only three people in his group: himself, his wife and daughter. He said that the officers were the ones who were breaking the guidelines.
“During the contact, none of the officers had masks on, none of them had gloves on, and they’re in my face handcuffing me, they’re touching me,” said Mooney.
Related: Man Exposes Pregnant Wife, Staff, to COVID-19 in Maternity Ward
After he spent ten minutes in the back of a patrol car, the cops released Mooney. He says he deserves an apology after what happened.
“If we’re going to go ahead and start arresting people for no reason in front of their 6-year-old daughter, you’re just going to cause more problems later on,” he said.
A vague statement was posted on Facebook by the Brighton police after the incident that read, “The Brighton Police Department is conducting an investigation into a situation that occurred late this afternoon at Donelson Park.”
“This is an active investigation and so we are unable to provide additional information until the investigation is complete.”
It isn’t known if a family lawyer is involved at this point.
Related: Dead Hospital Worker Found With Child and More COVID-19 News
