DESOTO, Texas — Independency matters most to Damion Hudlun -- he was born with spinal bifida.
“In 2015, I lost my leg to a bone infection. That’s how I ended up in a wheelchair,” said Hudlun, a DeSoto resident.
He said he's never felt he had a disability.
“My siblings would tell you now, I don’t have a disability. Ain’t nothing wrong with me,” said Hudlun.
That feeling changed for him on Saturday. Hudlun said he was leaving 7-Eleven on Wintergreen Road headed home on that same street when a police officer stopped him.
“First of all, he stopped in front of me, basically blocking me from going, and hops out and proceeds to ask me to tell me I couldn’t be in the street," Hudlun said. "I said, 'well there’s no sidewalk.'”
He said it had been raining earlier that day, so the grass was muddy.
“I shouldn’t have did that, but I was trying to keep myself from trying to push through grass and mud," Hudlun said. "It’s a lot harder than people think it is. Especially if you’re not in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t know how hard it actually is to get through stuff like that."
The officer offered him a ride home, but Hudlun said he was already close to home. That officer also wrote him a warning citation.
“He told me plain and simple the next time he sees me in the street, he’ll give me a ticket besides the warning that he already gave me,” said Hudlun.
The citation said Hudlun was not facing traffic, but he said crossing the street would have been more dangerous and the sidewalks end there too.
“It only takes one time to get ran over. I could lose my life. You say you’re worried about my safety and my life, then do something about it,” said Hudlun. “Why not just work on putting a sidewalk down, so I can be safe and you don’t have to worry about people being in the street? That’s the only resolution that we have at this point.”
Hudlun said he also travels that same street to work, which is right across the street from the 7-Eleven. It is part of his weekly routine.
“I worry every day going up and down the street. I know it’s not safe, but I have to get to the store. I have to get to work. What else do you want me to do?” asked Hudlun.
His aunt, Evette Boyer, shared a picture of the citation on Facebook.
“If the traffic is going 40 miles per hour and he’s in a manual wheelchair, he’s risking his life either side,” said Boyer. “We understand that he is supposed to be going against the flow of traffic, but if you go against the flow of traffic, where?”
DeSoto police responded stating their policy is to give written warning to anyone they pull over “even if they would not normally act upon them.” They also said in the post, “We, the DeSoto Police Department, agree with your nephew that a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk should be placed in the area to make walking through the city easy and safe. With new hotels and nearby apartments, it is essential to have a sidewalk that makes walking easy and safe.”
Although the warning said Hudlun must appear in court or a warrant will be issued for his arrest, the City of DeSoto told WFAA that he does not have to go to court. Both the city and police said they are willing to work with Hudlun to look into getting sidewalks added.
“All I ask for is for a sidewalk. That’s it. That’s it. I don’t need you to pay me for the rest of my life. I just want a sidewalk,” said Hudlun.
The City of DeSoto said they do provide transportation alternatives for residents. Anyone needing transportation can contact the DeSoto Action Center at (972) 274-2489.
Star Transit is another resource available for residents. They can be reached at (877) 631-5278. The city said Irving Holdings also provides transportation and partners with companies such as Lyft and Uber.