After being mistakenly arrested by the San Antonio police, Mathias Ometu, a 33-year-old Nigerian-born American, spoke out about the incident. The USAA employee was taken into custody on August 25 on suspicion of being involved in a family violence case, despite discrepancies between his physical appearance and the suspect’s description, as seen in body camera footage released on September 1. Ometu recounted the incident, revealing that he was jogging near Interstate 10 and Woodstone Drive in San Antonio, Texas when a police car approached him and turned back towards him.
View this post on Instagram“jogging while black” speaks. Ometu who was arrested in a case of mistaken identity, said his name is still not cleared as punishment for invoking his rights (check previous post)
Ometu felt targeted by the police, who were searching for a different individual in an unrelated robbery case. Despite Ometu’s refusal to cooperate with the police’s request to be taken to the victim’s location for identification, he was detained. He expressed his frustration with the situation, stating, “Once those doors close on you, you never know when they’re going to open again.”
In the bodycam footage, Ometu can be heard refusing to provide his information, expressing his disbelief at being interrupted during his run. He adamantly maintained his innocence when informed of the matching description, expressing his desire to continue his run without interference. He was subsequently handcuffed and taken into custody after allegedly kicking the officers during the attempt to put him in a patrol car. However, the woman who reported the assault later confirmed that Ometu was not the individual involved.
After being jailed for two days and facing two charges of assaulting a peace officer, Ometu’s charges were dropped by District Attorney Joe Gonzales. Gonzales stated that Ometu had the right to withhold his identification, and the officers involved agreed to drop the charges. Ometu is now planning to file a civil rights lawsuit, seeking justice for the harm he experienced. He believes that the incident reflects a disregard for the rights of Texas residents and the conduct of multiple officers.
Chief William McManus of the San Antonio Police stated that Ometu was not under arrest but legally detained, defending the actions of his officers during the investigation of the domestic violence case. However, public defender Adam Kobs criticized McManus’ stance and called for accountability. He highlighted the importance of acknowledging mistakes and addressing wrongful actions, suggesting that change should start from the top.
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