VALDOSTA – Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson said Thursday there have been no internal discussions about disciplining a police officer being sued in an excessive use of force case. 

“Nothing has been as emotionally exhausting as this – what we’re going through right now. It has me drained. It has me spent. It has me sitting up in bed,” he said. “I love that police force of ours, and I do not want this staying on them at all. I love them.”

The mayor said he has no new information regarding police officers involved in the incident, nor anything new to say regarding Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan, as of Thursday evening.

Antonio Smith, a 46-year-old Black man, sued the Valdosta Police Department over excessive force stemming from a Feb. 8 incident where he was mistaken for a suspect in a panhandling investigation. His attorney is calling the incident a civil rights violation in the lawsuit filed June 19.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court and named members of the Valdosta City Council, Manahan, in addition to Matheson.

Smith is asking for compensation and punitive damages in the amount of $700,000, according to the lawsuit.

Police body cam footage clearly shows a VPD officer wrongfully identified Smith as a person the police were looking for with outstanding arrest warrants.

Police Sgt. Billy Wheeler walked up to Smith who was being questioned, appearing to grab his right wrist before reaching across his back and grabbing his left arm. Wheeler wrapped his arms around him and instructed him to put his hands behind his back three times.

After the third time, the sergeant slammed Smith to the ground. By that time, two more officers arrived and the man was placed in handcuffs.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” the man cried out in the video.

In the lawsuit, Nathaniel Haugabrook, Smith’s attorney, contends Smith’s arm was broken during the interaction with the police and Smith has had to endure physical therapy because of it.

“You broke my wrist. Oh my god, you broke my wrist,” Smith said in the video.

Matheson said explaining the incident to people has become difficult, and opinions have formed and hardened as people have viewed the footage.

“It’s almost indefensible. Everybody’s formed their opinion, so as I try to explain it to different groups, I’m having success one-on-one or two-on-one. I have success with that NAACP (inaudible) and I think it was not racist whatsoever,” he said. “So, I’m enjoying the smaller forums, but the rest are shouting loud.” 

When asked if the city has discussed disciplinary actions, Matheson said no.

“None, and that’s been dictated to us by that lawsuit,” he said. “This is gonna ride itself out and people are crying for justice for him and that’s probably gonna play itself out in that suit. I think some will consider that justice.”

The city has not had any conversations with Smith, according to Matheson, but after being asked if he or the city has apologized to Smith, the mayor was receptive to the idea.

“No. I’ll seek him out if somebody thinks that is warranted. Again, the way this thing’s being handled, I would imagine that’s also not allowed,” he said. “I’d love to talk with the man. That’s a good suggestion (about an apology). Well, again, you think in your head ‘sorry, you’re going to do this’ but I’ll have to ask that man over there whether I can do that,” pointing to Valdosta City Attorney Tim Tanner.