A police department and sheriff’s office in Northern California are investigating a deputy’s use of force in a video that recently went viral depicting an officer punching a teen lying on the ground while attempting to detain him.
What We Know:
- A deputy was patrolling an area of the city after complaints of alcohol, tobacco, and drug sales to minors and “saw what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and juvenile,” according to a statement from the Rancho Cordova Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
- In the clip, that was shot by a bystander and went viral Monday, a Rancho Cordova police officer is seen attempting to handcuff the teenager who is only 14-years-old. The person who originally uploaded the tweet said the incident merely happened over a simple cigar.
https://twitter.com/0hnana__/status/1255030298753957888?s=20
- The unarmed teenager could be seen getting punched repeatedly, as he was thrown to the side and pinned down. A friend of the victim’s brother also went on Twitter to express her feelings and provide clarity.
- “The officer had no reason to brutalize and traumatize this boy like this! He has a preexisting health condition which could be fatal under this kind of stress! Unjustifiable!”
- There is no footage as of yet to what occurred before the 15 seconds of filming occurred, but many still felt that the officer did not have to escalate to the violence he did. It was noted that a white teenager would not have been treated in the same manner.
The Rancho Cordova Police Department in Rancho Cordova, Calif., reacted to the video and social media outcry Tuesday afternoon with a statement. They claimed that there was an investigation in its infancy but the department did clarify the officer was indeed responding to complaints from citizens about sales of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs to minors.
