Darnay Cockrell, a Black man from Arizona, called 911 on August 4, 2024, after his wife kidnapped his daughter despite not having the child’s custody.
However, instead of receiving help from the police, Darnay was handcuffed and forced to the ground. Mesa Police claimed that he had allegedly “made comments that spiked concern for officer safety.”
The police’s claims were later deemed inaccurate after audio recordings from the incident failed to present any threatening statements from Darnay. Instead, the recordings captured a frantic father’s desperate plea and concerns for his child’s safety and whereabouts.
In the audio, Darnay could be heard saying, “She took my kid.” In response, one officer, who is identified as Helfrich in the lawsuit, says, “Yeah, we’re out with her, we’re out with her, relax, relax, thank you.”
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Darnay could then be heard getting a little frantic, saying, “She took my f—— kid.” To this, Helfrich replies, “Yeah, sit down!” Darnay could then be heard getting even more frustrated and saying, “Who are you talking to like that? I’m a grown-a– man, she took my f—— kid.”
Once the cop reassured “We’re out with her,” Darnay once again demanded to see his child prompting officials to order him to sit on the curb.
Mesa police had only released the audio up to this point, but a neighbor’s recording shows more. In the video, officers Helfrich and another female cop, identified as Brown in the lawsuit, can be seen trying to force Darnay to the ground.
Darnay repeatedly explained that he had recently undergone surgery and requested that the officers handcuff him without putting him on the ground.
Despite his pleas, the police ignored Darnay, forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him, with Helfrich kneeling on his back.
Only after Darnay was restrained did Helfrich ask, “So what is going on with your baby mama?” As the female officer remarked, “She’s a dope fiend,” Helfrich responded, “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
The officers then prevented Darnay from standing and insisted he remain on the ground, while also blaming him for the entire situation.
Nearly 30 minutes after the fiasco, a sergeant arrived and put out the man of his cuffs. Shortly after, they arrested the child’s mother and returned the kid to the Black man.
While he did get this child back, Darnay had sustained back and knee injuries and also broke his watch and necklace.
Moreover, the man also lost his job and his place to stay after the video of his detainment by the police went viral even when it was not his fault. This led to Darnay filing a lawsuit against officials involved in the scuffle.
Did a father who called 911 for his missing child get treated like a suspect? Mesa officers handcuffed Darnay Cockrell despite no threat, sparking a federal lawsuit over racial bias. 🚨 #PoliceReform #RacialJusticehttps://t.co/tsOoyAkZHS pic.twitter.com/JqB1AilJej
— Hot Tea King (IntrovertKing) (@Intrvertking) December 21, 2025
Benjamin Taylor, one of the lawyers representing him, spoke to Atlanta Blackstar, and said, “It seems the officers are afraid of Black people in the fact that he’s a victim and he ends up being victimized by the same people he’s calling for help.”
Taylor further added, “There was no need to put him in handcuffs and throw him to the ground, putting him facedown.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in August in state court was then transferred to federal court in December, mentions, “Neither Helfrich nor Brown had reasonable suspicion that Darnay had committed any crime.”
It further states, “On information and belief, both Helfrich and Brown treated Darnay as if he had committed a crime because he is African American, tall, and physically fit.”
The suit adds, “On information and belief, Mesa Police Department trained Helfrich and Brown in a manner in which they felt free to treat African Americans in the community as criminals even without reasonable suspicion of a crime.”
With growing instances of racial violence in the US amid the present socio-political state of the country, the result of Darnay’s lawsuit is now awaited.
