NAACP leader: Police used force in July arrest

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) âone space€one space” Lonnie Randolph Jr. felt a little lightheaded and queasy as he walked into the dry cleaner to pick up clothes. The South Carolina civil rights leader told the woman behind the counter that he was a diabetic and needed help. Instead of phoning for an ambulance, the clerk called police, reporting that Randolph wouldn’t pay or leave. That set off a chain of events leading to Randolph’s arrest. During the July incident, the 63-year-old Randolph says officers slammed him to the ground so hard it knocked out teeth. Randolph faces misdemeanor charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. His trial is scheduled for Tuesday. He says police should have recognized he was having a diabetic episode. Police directed questions to a city prosecutor, who did not return a message.