A disabled military veteran has claimed he was mocked by Dallas police officers after he wet himself when he was not allowed to use the bathroom of a restaurant.
DyNell Lane said employees at Serious Pizza refused to let him use the restroom on June 10 before two off-duty cops, who were working security, refused to look at his medical paperwork.
The former army sergeant, who was wounded during deployment in Afghanistan and Kuwait, ended up urinating on himself and he later called 911.
Two on-duty police officers arrived after the incident and bodycam footage appears to show the four cops mocking Lane with one slapping his knee as he laughed.
Lane reported the incident and spoke at a Dallas police oversight board meeting on August 8 saying they ‘discriminated against me and declined to assist me’.
In the video, one of the officers who arrived later laughs and says: ‘So you guys made a guy pee himself?’
One of the off-duty police officer replies ‘yes’ while smiling and the other slaps his knee and starts laughing out loud after the male officer says Lane called 911.
‘He got mad you guys wouldn’t let him use the restroom and then he calls back and said it’s okay he doesn’t need to pee anymore because he soiled,’ the on-duty female officer says before the video cuts off.
The off-duty police officers have been named in an internal affairs document as James Smith and Juan Figueroa Lua. But the on-duty cops have not been named.
Lane told the Dallas police oversight board: ‘The Dallas Police Department failed me. ‘Two Dallas police officers discriminated against me and declined to assist me in bridging the gap between myself and the Serious Pizza manager.
‘I had higher expectations from the city. Please hear me when I ask all to make change so no one with a disability will endure what I had to endure.’
States like Texas have a restroom access law known as ‘Ally Law’ which says people who are lawfully on the premises of a business should be granted access to a bathroom if they provide evidence they have a medical condition where they need immediate toilet access
.Lane said: ‘If a retail establishment chooses to ignore a person who is trying to present such documents, they should be held accountable, for this is why [the Americans With Disabilities Act] is in place.
‘He has a state and federal identification card and legal documents.’
Lane had surgery on his lower extremities after he was hurt during deployment in Afghanistan and Kuwait.
He told the oversight board he was medically evaluated out of combat and does not live a regular life.
‘My life has changed, drastically changed, and has been a constant fight having to explain myself about my disability just to get assistance,’ he said.
‘This battle leaves me in a constant depression and suicidal at times because of the shame of asking strangers for help while in public.’
