DOWNTOWN — Philip Coleman's parents were at their West Pullman home Monday night when the phone began ringing off the hook.
Everyone they knew, it seemed, was calling to tell them that the city had released footage of their son, Philip, being tased, choked and dragged out of his holding cell by Chicago police in December 2012, said Percy Coleman, Philip's father.
The news shocked Percy and his wife, he said.
"We had never seen it before," he said. "Had no idea it was coming out."
RELATED: Death of Philip Coleman Was 'Not Accidental', Family Says After Video Shock
Philip was arrested outside his parents' home in 2012 after he had a mental breakdown and assaulted his mother. After threatening to shoot him on the scene, police arrested Philip, booked him and allegedly assaulted Philip while in custody, tasing him over 15 times while he was in custody, according to the family.
Philip died after reacting negatively to a sedative he received in the hospital he was brought to following his assault in his holding cell, according to authorities.
Despite suing the city shortly after the 2012 incident, Percy and his family had not sought the video's release, nor did they wish to see it themselves, the family's spokesman, Bishop Tavis Grant, said at a news conference Tuesday.
"The last time they saw him alive was on that video," Grant said. "For this family to be sitting in their living room ... it's egregious and disingenuous. This was a crime."
When they found out the video was being played on the nightly news, Percy said his wife went into her room with her Bible.
The family's attorney, Ed Fox, confirmed that there was no forewarning of the video's release. He said he had seen the video, but that the family said they didn't want to see it.
The family even met with representatives from the city last week, and the city made no mention of the video's pending release. Percy said the family left the meeting after learning the conversation would be unsubstantial.
"We had a nice conversation about parliamentary procedure," Percy said sarcastically.
The family held a news conference Tuesday to discuss the video's release, which they said does not show the full extent of police abuses against their son.
"This is not an accidental death," Fox said. "It was caused by the tasing which aggravated him. They set up the perfect storm to cause his death."
The video footage was released Monday night, accompanied by a written statement from Mayor Rahm Emanuel saying he was concerned with police's behavior in the case.
"I have not received a sufficient answer on either from IPRA’s former leadership, and as a result I do not consider this case to be closed or the investigation into what happened that night to be over," Emanuel said.
Chicago Police interim Supt. John Escalante said the investigation was ongoing and vowed a "review of our policies and practices surrounding the response to mental health crises.”
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