Donald Neely was arrested by two mounted officers who handcuffed him and used a rope to lead him through the city

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Two white police officers who prompted national outcry after leading a black man through the streets of Galveston, Texas by a rope while they rode on horseback will not face criminal charges.

Donald Neely, 43, was arrested on a charge of criminal trespassing on 3 August. In the absence of a police vehicle, the mounted police officers attached Neely, described as homeless and mentally ill, to a rope, his hands handcuffed behind his back.

A picture of the incident, widely circulated online, sparked outrage – prompting comparisons to slavery.

Galveston police department admitted to the officers’ “poor judgement” and said it would stop using the procedure.

Galveston’s police chief, Vernon Hale apologized for the “unnecessary embarrassment”, adding: “We have immediately changed the policy to prevent the use of this technique and will review all mounted training and procedures for more appropriate methods.”

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But authorities have now said there will not be a criminal investigation.

“The Texas Rangers conducted an inquiry into this matter, which has since been completed,” the Texas Ranger Division of the state’s Department of Public Safety said.

“The Rangers subsequently conferred with the Galveston county District Attorney’s office, which determined that there was nothing that warranted a criminal investigation.”

In a second investigation, the Galveston county Sheriff’s office is still reviewing whether the officers had breached any police policies.

Two days after the arrest, Neely’s sister-in-law, Christin Neely, condemned his dehumanizing treatment in a post on Facebook: “He was treated like an animal paraded through the streets by two incompetent assholes.”

Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Neely’s family, said in a statement that, whatever the findings of Texas Rangers, his supporters want “transparency and accountability”.

“The only way to rebuild trust after this instance of bad policing is to be transparent and send a clear message that Mr Neely was deserving of respect, just as any other American citizen,” he added.

First assistant criminal district attorney in Galveston county, Kevin Petroff, told the New York Times that his office hoped to get Neely mental health treatment in place of a criminal conviction.