A Pasadena teenager, who says an officer beat him so severely that at one point he lost physical and emotional feeling, has had his lawsuit settled for $ 60,000.
On May 16, 2014 Caesar Suquet Jr’s cell phone was confiscated at school.
The South Houston high school student went to his principal’s office later in the day to take back his phone. His request was refused and he was asked to leave.
Pasadena Independent School District Officer Michael Y’Barbo and an assistant principal accompanied him out of the building.
This is when the upset teenager allegedly muttered a profanity.
The officer did not take to this kindly and immediately told the student that he was being placed under arrest.
While school surveillance cameras recorded the incident, Y’Barbo attempted to handcuff Suquet; but, this was not all – he struck the teenager at least 18 times.
At one point the boy fell to the ground, and received nine blows while lying down.
In a photograph taken that night by his parents the abuse is evident.
There are bruises and cuts in several places, in addition to this the boy’s arms, legs, elbow and leg are swollen.
Earlier this year, Suquet spoke of his ordeal at a news conference.
“It hurt, it hurt to the point that I couldn’t feel it anymore,” he said.
The boy, who was a minor at the time, says he began fearing for his life during the ordeal.
“I mean he wasn’t gonna stop, and I was getting ready for the worst. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
His attorney, Mark Montgomery, says switching schools has not healed Suquet completely.
“Even though he had switched school districts, he still felt like he was looking over his shoulder a lot,” he remarked.
This comes at a time when cases of cops physically abusing students are in the limelight; this is particularly true because footage of a South Carolina student being bashed by a school police officer has caused frenzy on social media.
However, Montgomery says what Suquet suffered was worse.
“Basically, [Y’Barbo] struck Mr. Suquet about 20 times in 20 seconds with a metal baton. I think our case was a little uglier,” he added.
Watch the video below: