Mother questions choke hold, arrest of her son

Picture on Laurie Bruck’s Facebook post shows deputy on top of her son with his arm around his neck.

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – A welfare check on a bipolar teenager who posted threats to himself on social media lands the teen in jail and his mother questioning the tactics of the deputies who ended up putting him in a choke hold and arresting him.

Bruck in his jail mugshot with cuts and scratches on his face.

But the Madison County sheriff promises to look into the incident, which was first reported by the Richmond Register newspaper.

According to the Madison County Detention Center web site, Darshae Bruck was booked into jail at about 3:40 p.m. Monday by Madison County Deputy Petry on charges of third-degree assault on an officer and resisting arrest. In his jail mugshot, scratches can be seen on his face.

He was released on bond and home with his family at about 9 p.m. Monday.

In a Facebook post which was sent to WTVQ ABC 36 News by concerned Madison County residents, his mother, Laurie Bruck says she is “angry” because of the deputy’s tactics. She posted pictures of her son pinned to the ground and in a choke hold in the deputy’s arms while a female officer also struggled and tried to handcuff the teen.

Laurie Bruck also posted a video of the incident.

She told the Richmond Register her son posted on social media about harming himself and deputies received a 911 call for a welfare check, Sheriff Mike Coyle told the newspaper.

According to his mother, when deputies arrived, her son went outside and in a conversation with deputies, rejected their offer to take him to Eastern State Hospital and then tried to run, only to be stopped by the deputy and taken to the ground.

During a struggle and attempt to handcuff him, the teen bit the officer, Laurie Bruck told the newspaper.

She told the newspaper, “Every time that he would calm down, the officer (who choked him), came back and got him riled up.”

The sheriff said he arrived on the scene as it was ending and had not seen the video. He also told the newspaper he wasn’t “disputing” the family’s version of the story.

He also promised to look into the matter.

According to the newspaper, Laurie Bruck said she intended to file a complaint.

“He should not have been arrested in the first place, because he did not do anything wrong…They should have let him go to his counselor,” the newspaper quoted Laurie Bruck as saying.

During the video she posted, she can be heard saying let her take care of her son because she has been taking care of him :his whole life.”

Coyle said his office has not received an official complaint.

“I just wish that everybody could get along and understand,” Coyle told the Register. “We were called there for a purpose. … We have a job to do. We don’t intend to harm anybody.”