https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/community/desoto-man-given-citation-warning-after-riding-his-wheelchair-street-without-sidewalks/287-9a159fce-b85a-47a6-b7f9-3b034292fd2c#ltntokjq8ob2opqk3w “Why not just work on putting a sidewalk down, so I can be safe and you don’t have to worry about people being in the street," said Damion Hudlun, a DeSoto resident.
DESOTO, Texas — Independency matters most to Damion Hudlun -- he was born with spinal bifida.
“In 2015, I lost my leg to a bone infection. That’s how I ended up in a wheelchair,” said Hudlun, a DeSoto resident.
He said he's never felt he had a disability.
“My siblings would tell you now, I don’t have a disability. Ain’t nothing wrong with me,” said Hudlun.
That feeling changed for him on Saturday. Hudlun said he was leaving 7-Eleven on Wintergreen Road headed home on that same street when a police officer stopped him.
“First of all, he stopped in front of me, basically blocking me from going, and hops out and proceeds to ask me to tell me I couldn’t be in the street," Hudlun said. "I said, 'well there’s no sidewalk.'”
He said it had been raining earlier that day, so the grass was muddy.
“I shouldn’t have did that, but I was trying to keep myself from trying to push through grass and mud," Hudlun said. "It’s a lot harder than people think it is. Especially if you’re not in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t know how hard it actually is to get through stuff like that."
The officer offered him a ride home, but Hudlun said he was already close to home. That officer also wrote him a warning citation.
“He told me plain and simple the next time he sees me in the street, he’ll give me a ticket besides the warning that he already gave me,” said Hudlun.
The citation said Hudlun was not facing traffic, but he said crossing the street would have been more dangerous and the sidewalks end there too.
Anonymous
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“It only takes one time to get ran over. I could lose my life. You say you’re worried about my safety and my life, then do something about it,” said Hudlun. “Why not just work on putting a sidewalk down, so I can be safe and you don’t have to worry about people being in the street? That’s the only resolution that we have at this point.” Hudlun said he also travels that same street to work, which is right across the street from the 7-Eleven. It is part of his weekly routine. “I worry every day going up and down the street. I know it’s not safe, but I have to get to the store. I have to get to work. What else do you want me to do?” asked Hudlun. His aunt, Evette Boyer, shared a picture of the citation on Facebook. “If the traffic is going 40 miles per hour and he’s in a manual wheelchair, he’s risking his life either side,” said Boyer. “We understand that he is supposed to be going against the flow of traffic, but if you go against the flow of traffic, where?” DeSoto police responded stating their policy is to give written warning to anyone they pull over “even if they would not normally act upon them.” They also said in the post, “We, the DeSoto Police Department, agree with your nephew that a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk should be placed in the area to make walking through the city easy and safe. With new hotels and nearby apartments, it is essential to have a sidewalk that makes walking easy and safe.” Although the warning said Hudlun must appear in court or a warrant will be issued for his arrest, the City of DeSoto told WFAA that he does not have to go to court. Both the city and police said they are willing to work with Hudlun to look into getting sidewalks added. “All I ask for is for a sidewalk. That’s it. That’s it. I don’t need you to pay me for the rest of my life. I just want a sidewalk,” said Hudlun.
Anonymous
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The City of DeSoto said they do provide transportation alternatives for residents. Anyone needing transportation can contact the DeSoto Action Center at (972) 274-2489. Star Transit is another resource available for residents. They can be reached at (877) 631-5278. The city said Irving Holdings also provides transportation and partners with companies such as Lyft and Uber.
Anonymous
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Pigs gonna pig
Anonymous
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inb4 the local DA throws the case out to score points with voters
Anonymous
>>1277431 >Texas >Racist >Discriminating against the disabled Pick 3
you shouldn't be poor, than you won't have to complain
you shouldn't be poor, than you won't have to complain Thu 14 Mar 2024 04:27:16 No. 1277466 Report Quoted By:
>>1277431 Greg Abbott don't need to use sidewalk. He got a custom made limo, at taxpayers expense.
Anonymous
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The auto industry was a mistake.
Anonymous
Eh, fairly normal for cops in shittier towns to ticket you for walking on the wrong side of the road while Black. The only thing his disability contributed to was keeping him from being on the grass. On a related note, any area that mandates foot traffic only be in a single direction relative vehicle traffic is a shithole. As if an SUVs not gonna fucking hit you if you're facing them. Laws like that are just created to Simon Says people into having to fines to fund police departments.
Anonymous
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There's a couple legless bums in my city. The problem is they wheel around in the MIDDLE of the road. They do this on purpose. The trick is to make you stop so they can ask you for money.
Anonymous
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>>1277452 i mean, good? disabled need to know their place, ie not america. theres no room for people who are hated by jesus here
Anonymous
>>1277479 De Soto is 70% black. That's why they didn't give out the officer's name.
Anonymous
>>1277616 1. The Department's only 28% Black
2. I stand by everything I said.
Anonymous
>>1277733 1. You're a retard
2. You're really retarded
3. SOURCE you lying fucking psychopath.
Anonymous
>>1277742 >3. SOURCE you lying fucking psychopath. https://www.focusdailynews.com/desoto-police-chief-reviews-crime-statistics-with-community-addressing-reality-vs-perception/ >Graphic courtesy of the City of DeSoto So the City of DeSoto, I suppose.
But sure, they're lying about the demographics of their own fucking police department. God, imagine being so fucking stupid that you think a city being majority minority means a non-white police department. It's like you don't know the first fucking thing about cops.
Anonymous
>>1277748 Oh, sorry, it's 28% black and 25% Hispanic.
Wooooooooo.
Retard.
Anonymous
>>1277755 Are...are you claiming there's no difference between Blacks and Hispanics? That's so very progressive of you.
Also, the Department could be 100% Black and I'd still stand by everything I said. Cops incorporate themselves into civil systems designed to prey upon underprivileged communities not to uphold white supremacy, but to reinforce the power structure that employs them (which just happens to be white supremacist). The underprivileged are less likely to have decent lawyers, less likely to make a stink, and less likely to get anywhere if they do, which means they make excellent prey.
Which is not to say there aren't nakedly racist police departments. There are. Basically every police department ever to undergo a pattern-and-practice review by the DoJ has been found to be a racist shithole with officers of color commonly found to be involved in discriminatory statements and behavior (cops are cops first).
Also, it's a state law and the state is Texas. Lmao.
copagandist
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>>1277803 >Cops incorporate themselves into civil systems designed to prey upon underprivileged communities not to uphold white supremacy, but to reinforce the power structure that employs them (which just happens to be white supremacist). The ''bureaucratic system'' of "cops'' does this.
An individual 'cop' is just a person trying to get a decent job.
Some sociopaths(hopefully screened out) and do gooders(who are quickly disillusioned), but mostly grunts.
Officers and gentlepersons:>)