The harassment of Dale Bryant is more proof of why police are often the wrong people to call for help.

Taylor police proved themselves to be the wrong people for the job when Dale Bryant, in April 2021, phoned 911 in desperate need of help. It is also why we have just filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mr. Bryant, a Black man with physical disabilities who had his constitutional rights violated, his beloved pet seized, and criminal charges filed against him when all he wanted was a little assistance for a puppy in distress.

It is also a clear example of why policing not just in Taylor but everywhere needs to be restructured in ways that allow officers to focus on serious offenses and not performing tasks they are untrained and illsuited for including responding to calls from people with disabilities, such as Mr. Bryant, who may require different responses to requests for assistance.