Neely has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and he said he hopes the image of him handcuffed and being led through the streets of Galveston will prompt a broader conversation about how police handle mentally ill suspects.

Police in Galveston, Texas released a public apology after the mounted officers were photographed leading a black man by rope down a street. 

Police chief Vernon Hale said that it is a “trained technique” and “best practice in some scenarios” and that his officers had no “malicious intent.”