DALLAS, Texas — The Dallas Police Department is investigating a complaint made by a Dallas man about being denied restroom-use in June by two off-duty officers working security at a Deep Ellum pizza joint.
After the man urinated himself after calling 911 for assistance to intervene, two on-duty officers wearing their body cameras later arrived at the restaurant. They made light of the situation with the two off-duty cops, their body camera footage shows.
That video was played before the Community Police Oversight Board on Aug. 8. It was preceded by comments by the man who needed to use the restroom but was ultimately denied -- Dynell Lane.
Lane told oversight board members that he was formerly an Army sergeant who had served in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq before sustaining a life-threatening injury to his lower extremities. Lane said he had to be removed from combat via medevac during his testimony to the board.
He added that he underwent surgeries regarding his lower extremities that changed his life drastically, leaving him with a disability that requires potential emergency use of a restroom.
Per Lane's complaint, he tried to use the restroom around 2 a.m. at Serious Pizza in Deep Ellum but was prohibited by two off-duty officers.
Under Ally's Law in Texas, people with certain medical conditions can be allowed access to restrooms that aren't public if they can show they have a medical disability. Lane said the officers still wouldn't let him use the bathroom and that he left, but not before calling 911 for help and urinating himself.
The body camera footage picks up from there. Just before 3 a.m., two on-duty officers arrived at Serious Pizza.
One officer told the two off-duty officers, "Somebody called saying they just pissed themselves because of you two guys."
Another female officer energetically said, "You just made a guy pee himself?"
One of the off-duty officers then said, "He called on us? AHAHAHAHA!" while slapping his knee.
The female officer continued, "He said you wouldn't let him use the restroom, and then he called and said it's okay, he doesn't need to use the restroom anymore because he soiled himself."
Lane's comments left several board members dismayed.
"The Dallas Police Department failed me," Lane said. "They declined to assist me by not giving me the courtesy of checking my ID or medical documents."
"I had to endure urine and bowel leakage while inside the restaurant. As a retired sergeant, I had higher expectations for the city. Please hear me when I ask for change so no one with a disability has to endure what I endured," Lane added before leaving the podium.
Serious Pizza closed at 3 a.m. that day, per its hours of operation. WFAA reached out to the owner for comment, who provided the station the following statement.
“We are disappointed by the conduct of the officers involved in this incident, the extent to which we were not aware of until the bodycam footage was released yesterday [Wednesday, Aug. 16]. We have requested that the contracted off-duty officers who were on duty that night not be assigned to our restaurant moving forward, as their actions were not representative of how we treat our guests and the general public.”
Serious Pizza told WFAA they have been conditioned to close restrooms to the public as their team is in the process of securing and closing the restaurant in order to protect their employees.
The statement continued to say, "given that none of our employees were presented with any documentation indicating that Mr. Lane was disabled, we are disheartened that we didn't have the opportunity to resolve the situation in real-time."
The owners extended their appreciation to Lane’s commitment to serve the U.S. and said they are “disappointed to have learned about the way he was treated in the vicinity of our restaurant.”
Serious Pizza is now in the process of reviewing the bathroom and security policies to ensure it doesn’t happen again, “while never compromising the safety” of their team members and guests.
Dallas Police Department spokesperson Kristin Lowman told WFAA: "The department is looking into the complaint, and the Internal Affairs Division will conduct an administrative investigation."