The family of William Goode still struggles with the memory of his violent 2021 traffic stop, an event that became even more painful when Goode died two years later on May 7, 2023. His family said he had a mild case of dementia at the time, which worsened in his final years.

“Seeing the memory of him being on the highway, beaten up by a cop, man, it’s got me furious, angry, angry, angry,” said William Goode Jr.

The body camera footage from Goode’s arrest was recently obtained by Ephraim Helton, an attorney representing another dementia patient, 66-year-old John Hardwick, who was detained last October at the Danville Walmart on suspicion of shoplifting.

According to a letter written by Goode’s stepdaughter, Officer T.J. Godbey’s cruiser came up behind Goode early in the morning while he was heading to work at the Bluegrass Stockyards. He did not stop, which the family said led to a six-mile slow-speed chase.

Once police got Goode’s vehicle stopped, his son said the situation turned violent. The footage shows Goode bleeding from the face.

Goode Jr. said Officer Godbey later told him he used force because he thought Goode was drunk or on drugs. A breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.

“He wasn’t a drug user. He was somebody that loved to work, and he loved UK basketball,” Goode Jr. said.

Jim Akers, who worked with Goode at the stockyard, said he had known him for years and was aware of his health conditions.

“It wouldn’t necessarily have thrown a red flag, you know, for him to have issues getting to work,” Akers said.

Goode Jr. said his father was heading to work early that morning when he misjudged a turn and ended up momentarily driving on the wrong side of the road before correcting himself. He believes his father was trying to find a safe, well-lit place to pull over.

When Goode finally stopped, multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. Goode Jr. said that Lincoln County sheriff’s deputies and Stanford police officers seemed more concerned about his father’s health, while Officer Godbey took a different approach.

“My dad said, ‘Why do you keep hitting me?’ He was confused, trying to understand why he was being beaten,” Goode Jr. said.

After the incident, Goode was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and refusing law enforcement commands.

Goode Jr. said he tried to contact Stanford city officials about the case but was given little response.

“I called the Chief. He talked to me one time and told me that what happened was justified,” he said. “I talked to the mayor, and he told me officers feared for their lives. I said, ‘If your cop fears an old man, he shouldn’t be a cop.’”

Goode’s family believes the situation could have been avoided if officers were better trained to deal with people suffering from dementia and other medical conditions.

“I think when you’re a cop, you should have training for people with illnesses—whether it’s dementia, Parkinson’s, or something else,” Goode Jr. said. “They need body cams on every officer. If they had a body cam the whole time, it would’ve shown everything that happened to my dad.”

Helton said his goal is to seek justice for both Hardwick and Goode and to push for changes in how officers handle dementia patients.

“The go-to shouldn’t be drugs and alcohol,” Helton said. “The go-to should be to evaluate that person, evaluate that situation. Let’s not have a rush to judgment.”

Goode Jr. said he is determined to keep fighting for change and accountability.

“We lived it, and it’s hurting,” he said. “Knowing he’s gone, and I’m here trying to keep positive—but man, that little guy, T.J. Godbey, he needs to be fired. He needs to be charged. He needs to be put in prison.”