Severe burns during arrest: "Feels like the skin is melting away"

Phoenix - Michael Kenyon from Phoenix in the US state of Arizona was held down by police officers on boiling hot asphalt. He suffered severe burns all over his body - even though he hadn't even done anything.

"The Phoenix police repeatedly demonstrate a complete disregard for human life," said one of Kenyon's attorneys. (symbolic image)
"The Phoenix police repeatedly demonstrate a complete disregard for human life," said one of Kenyon's attorneys. (symbolic image)  © 123rf/micheleursi

It happened on July 6 of this year - a day when temperatures in the city reached around 45 degrees Celsius.

A surveillance video shows how the young man is stopped by several police officers.

A short time later, the situation escalates and the officers push him to the ground together.

Another clip, recorded by a local resident, shows the situation from a different perspective.

It shows the victim on the ground screaming for help.

Kenyon himself talks about what happened

In the later interview, the injured party makes a guess as to why all this might have happened: His roommate had reported a theft from their shared apartment shortly before.

He said that he had only been walking with his cell phone in his hand and that the officers had immediately grabbed him by his wrists. When asked why they were holding him, they simply said: "Why are you so restless? Why do you look like you're nervous?" Before he knew it, he landed on the boiling hot asphalt and was held there for a whole four minutes.

The pain was unbearable. "It's like going through hell ... it feels like your skin is melting away," he recalls.

The police had no evidence

Michael Kenyon spent over a month in hospital. (symbolic image)
Michael Kenyon spent over a month in hospital. (symbolic image)  © 123rf/rungruadee

Only later did the police realize that Kenyon was not a suspect in the theft case. It also became clear that there was indeed a warrant for Kenyon's arrest on a drug charge, but that didn't improve the situation one bit.

It was officially confirmed that the police officers knew nothing about it at the time.

Even when he was in hospital, he was not left alone by the officers for weeks. He was often handcuffed and there were always guards outside his room.

They would not even allow him to use his phone. According to his account, he was only able to contact someone because some police officers turned a blind eye.

A friend was eventually able to get lawyers involved, who ensured that the police officers disappeared from the scene. The victim is now being represented by a team of local and national lawyers.

The incident is far from over and Kenyon himself is still struggling with the effects. In addition to a number of burn scars, whole pieces of flesh are missing from his legs.