Bluffton Police Officer Cody Kirkman slammed a man to the ground so violently that he had to lay in his own blood. It was after a routine traffic stop concerning expired tags and what ended up happening would change everything for Ted Ellis who ended up in handcuffs.
Ellis was upset about his predicament and the officer eventually became angry after placing him in handcuffs. Dash cam footage shows the officer lift him up by his legs, dropping him to the ground face first on the hard concrete and the damage was significant.
It’s been reported that Ellis lost teeth and is in need of full dental reconstruction and he also suffered neurological damage “from an undiagnosed concussion that hasn’t been treated further because Ellis is uninsured.” This isn’t the only issue Bluffton police have had with brutality.
A Black woman just settled a lawsuit against the department for pulling her over without probable cause, shattering her window, and pulling her out of her car. Ellis is suing just the same over civil rights violations and he’s taking it to federal court.
Leadership within the department say they’ve mandated de-escalation training for officers but it’s unclear yet if that’s going to make a difference. Black people experience the brunt of this sort of police violence and if it can be avoided more with others, it can be avoided with us.