KCPD officer being sued for Tasering man over parking ticket

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On May 31, 2014, Damian Words, a clerk at the Short Stop Mini Mart, at 51st Street and Walrond, looked outside and saw a police officer across the street opening the door of his car. The car was parked illegally, on a dead-end driveway inlet. It was partially blocking the sidewalk. Words emerged from the store, crossed the street.

“Hey, you can’t park on the sidewalk,” the officer said.

“But you can’t go in nobody’s car,” Words said.

At that point, the officer, Dale Secor, radioed to another patrol car and said, “Why don’t you send me a second car, make it code – they’re coming out of the store and they’re angry.”

Secor asked Words for his ID, and Words asked why he needed to see his ID if he was just going to give him a parking ticket. They went back and forth, Secor demanding the ID, Words asking why. Then Secor drew his Taser gun and demanded Words turn around.

Words gestured at the store and said, “I got a store, I got to run it. Man, I’m not about to turn around, man.”

“Turn around or you’re gonna get tased,” Secor said. “You’re under arrest. Turn around, turn around, turn around, and put your hands behind your back. Do it now.”

Words then sort of slumped back and leaned on his car. In the video, the lights and siren of the backup squad car can be seen in the distance just a short block away. Despite this, Secor then shot Words with the Taser. Words fell to the ground. The just-arrived officer jumped out of his car and roughly handcuffed Words.

Three weeks ago, Words filed suit in Jackson County against Secor for battery and emotional harm. KSHB Channel 41 aired a story on the lawsuit last night that includes footage of the incident. You can watch for yourself here.
 
In Secor’s police report, he wrote that, prior to Words being Tasered, Words “bladed his body and got into a power stance.” As the video shows, Words did no such thing.

Secor also wrote that a check of the car’s license plates, run before he got out and opened the car door, indicated that it belonged to a known gang member. But, as KSHB notes, nothing in Missouri, Kansas or Michigan (where Words originally comes from) records, or federal records, indicates Words has a violent past.