Officer accused of police brutality has commendations, reprimands

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Was it reasonable? That's the question as LMPD investigates the officer caught on camera getting physical with a handcuffed suspect.

Now the suspect's family is speaking out about the cell phone video.

Tewana Felton calls her tears a mixture of sadness and anger for what happened to her 19-year- old son.

"My son is a human being," Felton said. "A human being. He slapped him like a dog...it wasn't no resist, no assault or trying to fight back. He was handcuffed and they beat him, slapped him."

"I want justice," she added.

John Sanders apparently wrote to his mother from jail describing the alleged police brutality during a robbery arrest in Old Louisville on March 31.

But Felton didn't act on the letter, saying no one knew a neighbor captured it on video.

The LMPD officer in question, David Graham, has been with LMPD for 13 years. Now he is the center of a public integrity investigation.

"There were some issues as it relates to the reasonableness of force in that video," said LMPD Sgt. Robert Biven.

This isn't the first time Graham has been suspended for questionable behavior.

Personnel records do show that Graham has nearly two dozen commendations to his credit --
but he pleaded guilty in 2008 to criminal mischief after purposely popping the tire of a man's car at a church while he was on duty.

Graham could have lost his job over that offense, but Robert White -- who was police chief at the time -- mitigated the discipline to a 30-day suspension.

In 2010, Graham was reprimanded again for failing to show up in court.

Police officials say his prior triumphs and troubles may not matter now.

"There are some contractual guidelines to follow when the chief has to look at disciplining an individual," said Sgt. Biven. "We certainly want to look at this incident and we haven't ruled out the possibility that a person may be charged with a crime in this matter, much less an administrative violation."

Leaders with the city's Justice Resource Center want Graham fired.

"There's no place for any sort of activity like this on the LMPD," said Rev. James Tennyson of the center.

"From a mothers point of view, it was like me laying there taking them hits," Felton said.