A viral video emerged showing a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy entering a man’s car, hitting him and attempting to drag him out.
The video, posted Thursday afternoon by ABC7 News, appears to show an officer entering a vehicle and engaging in a verbal argument with the driver while hitting him and attempting to drag him out of the car as the passenger tries to stop him.
Disturbing video shows what appears to be a controversial use of force by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy entering a vehicle. In the footage, a deputy is seen punching and trying to drag a driver out of the car https://t.co/Bk4z8JwsFv pic.twitter.com/voUUxUVnBD
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) May 28, 2020
Jesus Medina, the driver of the car, said the officer told him that he was pulled over for a tinted window and sticker violation, according to an ABC7 report. His brother Omar Medina was in the passenger seat and said he started recording once the conversation escalated.
“He was already trying to open the door before the video started, just over a simple traffic ticket,” Omar said according to the ABC7 report. (RELATED: Police Officers Involved With Death Of George Floyd Fired)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that Jesus Medina has been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, unlicensed driving, and resisting an officer with force. His brother was arrested for failure to comply, and a third passenger was arrested for possession of methamphetamine for sale.
“I’ve seen an edited version of the video, I don’t have the raw footage. And I have one concern, and I have a lot of questions,” Villanueva said at a press conference Wednesday. “The one concern I have is for the safety of the female deputy, who was kicked in the stomach by one of the suspects. She fell to the ground and broke her arm in three places, so she’s currently being treated for that very serious injury.”
“We have a lot of questions that need to be asked about the decision making, communication, and tactics,” he added. “However, we need to have all the information before we can form an educated opinion on what happened and what needs to transpire.”
He said that there is an ongoing investigation into the incident.