PHOENIX — A man who suffered third-degree burns across much of his body after Phoenix officers pinned him face down on the scorching hot pavement has filed a federal lawsuit against the city.
Michael Kenyon and his attorneys filed the complaint on July 3, 2025, court records show.
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“Michael would ultimately spend more than 30 days in the Maricopa County Burn Center—during which he would go through a series of brutally painful procedures, including skin grafts, to attempt to treat his injuries,” according to the lawsuit. “He has since spent time in physical therapy attempting to regain mobility of his arms despite these burns. And he continues to carry the severe scarring and disfigurement of what these officers did to him.”
Phoenix does not typically comment on active litigation and did not immediately respond to a request about the lawsuit.
Kenyon had previously filed a notice of claim with the city.
ABC15 first reported on Kenyon’s case in late October. See the original reporting of the incident in the player below.
The incident happened on the afternoon of July 6, 2024, when the temperature reached 114º in central Phoenix.
Surveillance video shows Kenyon was stopped by officers and questioned in a parking lot near 7th and McKinley streets. After both sides began pulling against each other, a handful of officers took Kenyon down to the blacktop and kept him there for more than four minutes.
A witness from a nearby balcony began recording in the middle of the incident.
The cell phone video shows Kenyon yelling out, “Please… please… I can’t move. I didn’t do anything.”
ABC15 has requested body camera videos from the incident, but Phoenix has not yet released any of the footage.
In police records, officers said Kenyon struggled with their officers.
Kenyon, who has not been charged with a crime related to the incident, spent more than a month hospitalized with burns on his face, arms, chest, and legs.
Chunks of flesh are now missing from above his knees.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@abc15.com.
