On July 6, 2024, a scorching day with temperatures reaching 114ยบ, Kenyon found himself walking in a parking lot when two officers approached him abruptly. Kenyon recounted the incident to ABC15, saying, “I approached them, holding my phone, and asked, ‘Hey, what happened?’ or ‘What’s going on?’ Their response was cold and hostile as they snapped, ‘You’re being detained.’”
Kenyon recounted the incident, stating, “I was on the phone when they approached me. I was confused and asked them to explain their actions. I insisted that I hadn’t done anything wrong.” However, the officers responded by questioning his demeanor, asking why he appeared nervous and antsy. Kenyon, feeling frightened, requested to sit down and pleaded with them to provide an explanation.
Kenyon, with a heavy heart, expressed his inner thoughts, “Deep down, I find myself believing that due to my troubled past, I am not deserving of the good things in my life. Hence, I contemplate whether I deserved this unfortunate situation.”
After noticing Kenyon’s burns, the police officers promptly called for an ambulance, which swiftly transported him to Valleywise Medical Center. Kenyon’s road to recovery was a lengthy one, as he spent weeks at the burn unit and later at a rehabilitation facility to heal from his injuries. Throughout this difficult time, officers maintained a constant presence at the hospital, ensuring his safety, sometimes even requiring him to be handcuffed.
A team of lawyers has stepped in to represent Kenyon and has submitted a formal claim, as reported by the Daily Mail. Their aim is to secure a $15.53 million settlement, equivalent to a daily compensation of $1,000 for a span of 42 years, based on life expectancy calculations. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, Michael Kenyon intends to take legal action against the city in federal court.
According to ABC15, Kenyon had a warrant for failing to appear on a drug charge at the time of the incident. However, Kenyon claims he was unaware of the warrant, and even the police officers were unaware of it at the time, as reported by the police department. It seems to be a case of mistaken identity, as Kenyon’s roommate had reported a stolen laptop, leading the police to mistake Kenyon as the perpetrator.
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