According to family members, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver's father, Marvin Driver, was beaten by police during an arrest for traffic warrants on Monday morning. Family and friends of Marvin Driver held a news conference at Houston's Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center on Wednesday and said that after Michael Driver, son of Marvin and brother of Donald, dropped off his father at home police pulled up and arrested him. Later that evening, after he was transported to jail, he was taken to the hospital because he was unresponsive. Marvin Driver is now breathing though a ventilator and was recently upgraded to good condition. "So how can someone have traffic warrants for their arrest and be taken away from here in good health, no restraining whatsoever, then end up like this in intensive care after being in police custody," said community activist Quanell X, acting as the family spokeperson, at the news conference according to WBAY TV. "Supposedly he was being elbowed in the throat. He motioned like this with his arm that he was being elbowed to the throat and said they were kneeing him a lot."
Driver has not been able to talk and his only way of communication has been through writing on a notepad. He wrote that after the police were finished kicking and beating him, that they forced him to take a pill.
"Marvin Driver writes that they took him, picked him up behind a Valero station by a dark road where he was beaten," Quanell X said. "They told him to 'Swallow this, you're going to see Jesus."
Houston police said they are investigating the allegations, but they officers involved in the arrest will remain on duty.
"We're asking Chief Hal Hurt to remove all of the officers involved in the beating of Marvin Driver," Quanell X said. "Remove them or put them on desk duty or administrative leave, suspend them from patrolling the streets until a thorough investigation has been conducted and this family and other families in this area can feel safe that they will be protected by the Houston Police Department and not victimized and tortured by them."
Comments: (9)
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By: johntraj@yahoo.com on 11/21/2008 7:47PM
What Would cause such an act? There are two sides to
every story. But we would like to know the truth no
matter what it is. Right or wrong!
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By: Lee Admunson on 11/21/2008 10:54PM
I suspect that the act of the Milwaukee Police employees who sketched a bullet hole in a Barack Obama poster and the Senior Driver incident are related to post election anger.
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By: cainnon on 11/21/2008 11:04PM
Wow- Things are getting a bit more crazy out there! Do you think these cops have been given drugs to be more aggressive? Did you hear about the man in Wilmington, N.C. this week attacked by officers at his dads funeral and tasered? Bless us all Earth brothers and sisters. Lets make sure we have eachothers back in these times! We send our good thoughts to Donald Driver and his family.
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By: toney gort on 11/22/2008 4:06AM
damm damm damm keep standing.
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By: LaRee Gonzalez on 11/24/2008 8:13AM
Does anyone know the name of Mr. Driver's attorney. My son was beaten the same day by HPD and after I saw him at the hospital Monday, He was lost in the system for 5 days. I finally found him this morning. He is incoherent, face swollen, eyes swollen shut and I didn't even recognise him 7 days after he was arrested. He is charged with aggravated assault of a public servant because he ran into a police car. My son is frail and terminally ill. Is there such a thing as assault by a public servant? These animals need to be held accountable for what they did to Mr. Driver, my son and who knows how many others.
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By: Billy Springer on 11/24/2008 9:49AM
The Rev. Al Sharpton said; prior to the beating of Rodney King white people thought that blacks were exaggerating about the misconduct of white police officers. Where are all these tough gangs when things like this happen to our people? Who do we turn to for justice? Certainly not the police themselves. We as a people need to have some "checks and balances" for ourselves and to make these white police officers accountable for their crimminal actions.
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By: Mr. D on 11/24/2008 8:28PM
White or Black shouldn't matter...ALL POLICE need to be held accountable! Raceism works both ways! White or Black, they all need to be held responsiable!! Makes me sick either way. Cops are bullies when unchecked! I hope that they are found to be responsible for their actions! Even if he was beligerent, (not that I'm saying he was) even then he still deserves "protection" while in custody! What COWARDS!
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By: bob jones on 11/24/2008 9:32PM
"This was not the first time Marvin Driver has been arrested. According to court records, he served three years in prison beginning in 1986 on a drug charge. He has also been charged with robbery, felon in possession of a weapon and four separate charges of driving while his license was suspended."
Yeah, im sure he didnt do ANYTHING because someone named Quanell X said so
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By: Mikey on 12/09/2008 6:30PM
So whatever became of Donald's crack head father's false claims? Did it finally come out that he was taken to the hospital because he swallowed a crack rock he was trying to hide?
Probably not, and this is what damages any respect we try to create in the black community.
You DO NOT speak for us Quanell X!
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