Phoenix man says hot asphalt caused third-degree burns during arrest

An Arizona man says police held him down on scorching asphalt whereas arresting him through the top of Phoenix’s summer season warmth wave, inflicting third-degree burns on his physique.

Video obtained by CBS News from the person’s lawyer exhibits Michael Kenyon speaking on his cellphone strolling in a parking zone on July 6 when police pull up in a Phoenix police truck. Two officers get out and Kenyon places away his cellphone. Inside a couple of minutes, they attempt to handcuff him and a battle ensues. Two backup officers then arrive on the scene. 

It seems from the video that the 4 officers push Kenyon onto the bottom and maintain him there. Officers then scuffle with Kenyon earlier than he’s lastly handcuffed and the officers elevate him from the asphalt and escort him right into a police car.

Kenyon’s lawyer, Bobby DiCello, mentioned he spent multiple month within the hospital after the incident recovering from burns from the asphalt. 

When officers lifted Kenyon off the asphalt, his melted pores and skin peeled off and fell to the bottom, his lawyer mentioned. Police referred to as an ambulance after an officer seen his burns, police mentioned.

“They held a person — one other human being — on a floor so sizzling that it brought about his pores and skin to bubble and boil. It defies all motive,” DiCello mentioned in an announcement, including his shopper was now “scarred for all times.”

DiCello mentioned the temperature that day was 114 levels, with the asphalt estimated to be between 180 and 200 levels. Phoenix hit 100 straight days with at least 100-degree temperatures through the summer season. Arizona has the nation’s solely chief warmth officer, and Maricopa County, the place Phoenix is located, is the hottest metro area in america. 

Phoenix police mentioned officers responded to a name concerning a theft in progress. “Officers made contact with Kenyon, telling him he was being detained so they might perceive what might have occurred. The person struggled with police, which resulted with him being taken to the bottom on the new asphalt. The person sustained burns to completely different components of his physique from the time he was on the bottom,” police mentioned in an announcement to CBS News.

Police mentioned Kenyon was decided to not be the theft suspect they have been looking for that day. Later when he was taken to the hospital, officers discovered he had a felony warrant out for his arrest. 

Phoenix police mentioned their Skilled Requirements Bureau is investigating the incident.

contributed to this report.