Ex-football player may sue EPPD after cops tackled him

EL PASO, Texas -- Former football player Joshua Long says he's considering suing the El Paso Police Department after he was tackled and subdued by multiple officers inside traffic court back in April.

Long told ABC-7 that he went to court to pay a traffic ticket when an employee told him he was violating dress code by wearing sweat pants and sandals and she wouldn't let him see the judge.

That led to a verbal exchange as Long refused to leave, and it then escalated into a scuffle with five officers and two security guards.

A 17-minute video provided by Long shows the April 8th physical altercation.

At the start of the video, Long can be seen having a discussion with someone off camera.

Moments later, several police officers appear and, according to Long, asked him to step outside. Things escalate, with Long yelling to officers he had nothing wrong and refusing to leave. Then officers approach him and engage in a tussle which ends in nine officers tackling him to the ground.

Long said he has struck in the head 8 to 9 times while he was on the floor. After the incident, he said he was taken to the hospital and, once released, he was arrested and charged with trespassing. The charges have since been dropped.

"I didn't break any rules, I didn't break any law, I didn't attack anybody - so there is no real reason why police should've been called, nor to do what they did to me when they came in," Long said.

An El Paso police spokesman confirmed the department's internal affairs unit was reviewing the incident, but said he couldn't comment further because it's an open investigation.

A city of El Paso spokeswoman said the dress code - which includes no shorts, baggy pants or flip-flops - is posted at the courthouse and is printed on the traffic citations.

Long said he challenged officers because he saw someone in shorts who was allowed to remain in court.