ORLANDO, Fla. — A family is demanding answers after their loved one was hospitalized and later fell into a coma following a traffic stop involving the Orlando Police Department.
In response to those concerns, Orlando police released hours of body-worn camera footage Thursday, shedding new light on the events leading up to the arrest of Terry Mitchell.
Mitchell’s family, joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, held a press conference earlier in the day, calling for transparency and demanding to know what led to his condition.
The police video shows Mitchell being led into a hospital by multiple officers, with what looks like a spit mask removed from his face. Officers stated the mask was used because Mitchell was reportedly disobeying commands and spitting blood.
Additional footage depicts officers restraining Mitchell on a hospital bed while medical staff try to treat him. At one moment, several officers are seen holding him down.
According to police, the incident began around 10:22 p.m. on March 27 near North John Young Parkway and Old Winter Garden Road when officers conducted a traffic stop for violations. During the stop, officers reported smelling burnt cannabis and seeing marijuana in plain view.
Police state that Mitchell ignored multiple commands to get out of the vehicle and fought back when officers tried to arrest him. During the search, officers found cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and pepper spray.
Authorities also accuse Mitchell of trying to swallow suspected narcotics while in custody, as he kept chewing the substance even inside a patrol vehicle, in what officers say was an effort to destroy evidence.
Mitchell was initially cleared for jail by the Orlando Fire Department, but he was later hospitalized as his condition deteriorated. Police report that he continued to resist both officers and medical personnel during treatment.
Investigators stated that Mitchell experienced a medical emergency, potentially due to narcotics ingestion, and he is still hospitalized.
The family stated they were previously unaware of many of these details, leading them to publicly seek more information.
Mitchell is charged with several offenses, such as drug possession, evidence tampering, resisting arrest, and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
An Internal Affairs investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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