Kentucky’s Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) sergeant is under fire after allegedly pinning a 15-year-old man to the ground with a knee on his neck during a wrongful arrest. The Kentucky teen, who has autism and bipolar disorder, was detained by authorities but later released without charges, an apology, or an official explanation.
The confrontation unfolded after the man and his sister arrived at an undisclosed facility, reportedly following administrative instructions to gain entry. According to the sister’s online statement, the siblings used the building’s intercom to notify the front desk and enter, operating under the impression that they were complying.
The sister reported that a responding Kentucky sergeant immediately escalated the encounter into physical detention, tackling the teenager and forcing him onto the pavement.
“Cop put a knee on his neck and he couldn’t breathe. He’s autistic and bipolar so had trouble understanding what was happening.”
— Sister of the 15-year-old autistic youth, Instagram
The sister noted that the teen’s dual diagnosis left him vulnerable during the sudden escalation. The loud verbal commands and the tackling created severe stress to communicate as the scene turned volatile.
View this post on Instagram
“He’s autistic and bipolar, so he had trouble understanding what was happening,” the sister said, emphasizing that the teen’s confusion was met further physical force rather than de-escalation protocols.
“Arrested my brother for no reason – just released him later with no charges or apology.”
— Sister of the 15-year-old autistic youth, Instagram
No LMPD official statement, bodycam footage has been released. Furthermore, there are no official reports on whether any disciplinary action against the sergeant has been taken.
The incident follows years of national tracking regarding how field officers manage interactions with mentally ill and neurodivergent people.
On April 5, 2025, Idaho officers shot a 17-year-old non-verbal autistic teen, Victor Perez, who also had cerebral palsy. Apparently, officers arrived at the mental health emergency and opened fire within 16 seconds of arrival.
Victor died on April 12, 2025, after his leg was amputated. The four officers were put on administrative leave till Idaho AG Raul Labrador’s decision. The Idaho AG concluded that no criminal charges would be filed against the officers in September 2025.
Furthermore, six years back, on September 4, 2020, Salt Lake City officer Matthew Farillas shot a 13-year-old autistic boy, Linden Cameron. SLCPD initially falsely stated that Cameron had a gun, which was later debunked.
In August 2023, DA Sim Gill refused to charge Farillas, stating the current statuses make prosecution “almost near impossible.”
Peter Berns, The Arc’s CEO, called the incident ‘incomprehensible.’
He said, “How this call for help escalated, and so quickly, into a tragic shooting of a 13-year-old is incomprehensible. A thorough, swift, and transparent investigation must be done for Linden, his family, and the community. No one should ever be hurt or killed by police because of who they are.”
— Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc, Thearc
The encounter leaves open critical questions regarding department compliance with federal use-of-force standards, particularly whether local supervisors are properly trained to recognise signs of cognitive disability before executing compliance holds on unarmed citizens.
On the contrary, LMPD did demonstrate disability awareness earlier this year, carefully locating a missing autistic teen, which makes the neck restraint on the teen more glaring.
Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
