Homeless man left paralyzed, legless after arrest seeking justice from City of St. Pete: Family

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The family of a homeless man who says he was left paralyzed and without legs following an arrest is filing a civil rights complaint against the City of St. Petersburg.

Before his arrest on June 8, 2023, Heriberto Sanchez-Mayen was sleeping in a vacant lot in St. Pete.

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His attorneys told FOX 13 he had received tickets in the past for sleeping in public places.

At first, officer Sarah Gaddis can be heard on body cam video telling Sanchez-Mayen that she’s going to write him a ticket. 

A few minutes later, Sanchez-Mayen asks her if she’s going to write him a ticket. That’s when she responds: "No, you’re going to take the ride today. I’ve decided that you’re going to actually go to jail today. Far too many problems with you." 

Courtesy: Sanchez-Mayen family

In this case, video shows police placing a belly chain around him.

Officers put him into their transport vehicle, where there were no seatbelts or safety restraints, his attorneys said.

According to the 33-page complaint filed Monday, once the homeless man was put into the police transport vehicle, officer Michael Thacker "proceeded to drive the Transport Van in a reckless manner and at an unsafe rate of speed, when suddenly and without warning, he aggressively and deliberately engaged in a hard stop for an alleged red traffic light."

During the drive, video shows Sanchez-Mayen falling forward and hitting his head.

"They took him for that ride. And during that ride, the officer deliberately stopped short, throwing Mr. Sanchez-Mayen into the bulkhead where he fractured and broke his neck," the family’s attorney, Thomas Scolaro, said. 

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Officers can be seen trying to wake him up and then dragging him out of the vehicle by his ankles.

"Before this incident, Heriberto was a fun, happy and kind person who made friends everywhere he went. As a result of the injuries suffered at the hands of these police officers, my brother had to have both his legs amputated," Sanchez-Mayen’s sister, Elsa Hernandez said. 

Sanchez-Mayen is currently in a nursing home in Pennsylvania.

According to the complaint, the family is seeking "damages in excess of the required minimal jurisdictional limit of $75,000." 

Court records show Sanchez-Mayen has been arrested several times, including a dozen times in 2023. Past charges include open container of alcohol and trespassing. 

In a statement, SPPD said, "The St. Petersburg Police Department denies the claims and trusts in the judicial process."