Beaumont man paralyzed after officer allegedly 'body slammed' him on concrete, Ben Crump to represent

HOUSTON - Prominent trial lawyer and civil rights attorney Ben Crump will represent Christopher Shaw after he was allegedly paralyzed by Beaumont Police Officer James Thomas Gillen while still handcuffed in custody.

Shaw, 41, was in custody at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility for public intoxication on June 12, 2021, when the incident occurred.

In the lawsuit filed against Gillen, the City of Beaumont, and CorrHealth, LLC, Shaw claims he was handcuffed and restrained by deputies at the Jefferson County jail when he was then "body slammed" by Gillen onto the jail's concrete floor. Shaw broke his neck as a result of the attack.

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Shaw claims his pleas for help from CorrHealth medical personnel at the jail were disregarded as he was left on the floor in his cell, unable to move and in a pool of urine and feces, officials say.

He wants to hold Gillen, the City of Beaumont, and CorrHealth, LLC accountable not only for breaking his neck but also for neglecting the injuries that resulted in his paralysis from the chest down.

Christopher Shaw (Photo courtesy of Wukela Communications./Attorney Ben Crump)

However, Jefferson County authorities have persisted in prosecuting him for Assault of a Public Official and Misdemeanor Public Intoxication. Shaw's legal representatives maintain that he never assaulted anyone.

Recently, Crump represented Randy Cox, a 36-year-old Black man who became paralyzed while in the back of a police van, handcuffed and without a seatbelt in New Haven, Connecticut.

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Earlier this month, the City of New Haven settled the lawsuit for $45 million.

Despite repeated calls from the media and the public, the Beaumont PD and the Jefferson County Sheriff have refused to release video footage of the attack.

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"The Beaumont Police and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office are prosecuting the man they paralyzed and they're hiding the truth from the public," said Crump. "If this were a bank robbery, a hit and run, or even a convenience store hold-up, they would have released this video two years ago. The only difference is that, in this case, the suspect is wearing a badge."

Last year, Shaw, along with community leaders, religious figures, and civil rights advocate Bishop William Barber, called on the United States Department of Justice to investigate the 2021 assault and the Beaumont PD.