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SLO police officers break man’s arm during arrest, video

August 29, 2019

Gregory Bratt

By KAREN VELIE

The San Luis Obispo Police Department released a video Thursday of officers breaking the arm of a man who was resisting arrest. [Cal Coast Times]

On May 29, dispatchers sent two officers to the Chevron station at the corner of Higuera and Marsh streets to respond to a 911 call about a man who had allegedly stolen several signs. The caller said the same man swiped other property in days prior.

Officers stopped the suspect, Gregory Bratt, 28, who denied taking any property. After determining the man had a warrant for his arrest, the officers attempted to handcuff Bratt. Bratt resisted arrest while he asked the officers over and over why he was being arrested.

“Why am I getting arrested sir?” Bratt asks. “For what? What the f**k did I do?”

Bratt struggled with officers who did not disclose at that time the reason for the arrest. During the struggle, Bratt’s arm was broken and Officer Daniel Bravo injured his knee.

Following the arrest, police found 1.2 grams of methamphetamine in Bratt’s personal property, police said.

In the video, Chief Deanna Cantrell said the use of force was found to be justified under department policy. The SLO Police Department sent recommended charges of resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, and grand theft to the District Attorney’s Office.


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Why not just subdue the tweaker with a beanbag gun or stun gun? Was it really necessary to snap his arm?


A law$uit is sure to follow…paid by the taxpayer$.


-18

What grounds for a lawsuit? The law requires that you submit to the governing authorities when you are being detained for an investigation or for an arrest. He did neither. In fact he violently attacked the officers.


18

He looks like Sideshow Bob


3

A no-brainer. Easy way not to get hurt, comply, don’t resist. Settle it in court. If there is a warrant, then it would be unreasonable for you to think that the police will just decide to ignore it. Fighting the police on the street is a lose-lose for the citizen. Actually, the officer said that he was detaining the suspect for investigation. He didn’t need to say what he was being arrested for as he was not yet under arrest.


23

In most cases, officers are supposed to tell the person why they are being arrested. While I thing most officers are ethical, a group of SLO officers often fail to give Miranda Rights, get search warrants, tell the truth, and treat people as human.


9

First off in response to his question “why am I being arrested?” Officer Bravo tells the suspect “you are being detained”. While officers may handcuff a suspect during a detention case decisions have said such handcuffing is permitted for the officer’s safety, I.e., solo officer, multiple suspects, hours of the day, nature of call. Police officers handcuff people when they shouldn’t and frankly no one calls them or their agencies on it.

The officers should have told the suspect why they arrested him and then given orders to comply ( turn around, hands behind your back, etc.) if the suspect resists at that point the officers use the level of force necessary to overcome his resistance and effect the arrest.

Secondly, the Miranda warning is only required for post arrest (in custody) interrogation. They don’t Mirandize you when you are not in custody or they don’t have any investigative questions for you. They usually will seek your cooperation while they mention you are not detained and free to leave if you choose. This is done to protect the admissibility of incriminating statements.

Thirdly, search warrants are not required for pat down searches, custodial searches or searches of things that could be easily moved i.e., vehicles, backpacks, etc. However, some articulable facts establishing probable cause must exist.

Fourth, nothing requires officers to tell the truth during an interrogation, in fact courts have upheld the use of subterfuge and deceit during interrogations. What the officers cannot do is lie in their reports or testimony.

Fifth and finally, all officers should treat every person with dignity and respect even if they are using force to overcome resistance. The police are not there to judge. In fact after an incident like this, you would be surprised what a little empathy and respect shown to the suspect will get you. Many times a crook who knows he is in the wrong, won’t file a complaint or a lawsuit if they feel they were treated decently once the fight was over. That is a win for us taxpayers who have to foot the bill in defending the officers and the city.


12

All over 1.2 grams of meth likely. Too bad he got his arm broken and society will pick up his treatment plus the lawsuit that will likely follow. Hope the officer heals quickly.


-3

Lost her gun and got her own TV show…


21

A serf’s arm got broke. Big deal. He’s the type of person we can call a “scumbag.”


He’s a he….he’s white. He’s a drug user. He’s likely a transient. A white male, drug using transient is not even a human being….such a person is more like 3/5 of a human being.


Noblemen shouldn’t have to waste their time explaining why they’re arresting a person who is only 60% human. Nobility can break arms as often as they desire when it comes to people like this.


BTW, if you watch this video and think, “That looks like fun! I’d like to do that to people and make a ton of money doing it” then YOU would make a great cop!


On the other hand, if you watch that video and say to yourself, “That guy is a criminal. He has lots of problems and needs help….but I don’t understand why they had to use so much force and break his arm,” then you’re a decent human being who is thinking clearly. If that’s the case, you would make a lousy cop.


Cops need to dehumanize their prey long before they make the arrest. Only then, when serf’s are viewed as “scumbags” can cops sleep at night. (with only few drinks)


-25

DocT – regardless of this particular situation and the tendencies of any individual police officers, law enforcement has to deal with decisions and situations that arise in the heat of the moment in ways that most of us have the luxury not to have to deal with. It’s easy to criticize police actions long after the incident and from the comfort of our couches, but until we’re actually in that situation ourselves, our opinions fall short of what they encounter during real-time encounters.


20

DocT as a retired police officer I notice many common themes in which you hide behind your fake name and try to dehumanize police officers with your comments. You sir are the scumbag.


18

Thank you for your response, John. I find it interesting that you and I, both retired law enforcement officers readily use our real names when sharing our opinions, versus others who hide behind the cloak of anonymity offered by the internet. Well done.

Gary Joralemon


3

Some of us don’t have the protection opportunities that retired LE does, such as concealed carry and no DMV recording of addresses.It is childs’s play to track someone down with the internet. As you know, there are plenty of nuts around us that, through the internet, could determine where one of their perceived enemies lives and cause them or more importantly, their families, great harm. just sayin’ . Respect to you sir.


15

Maybe DocT is a mental health professional and using his known name to patients?


Or perhaps he hates cops from personal experience and thinks using his real name would make him more likely to get poor treatment if ever stopped by a non-retired cop who reads his comments.


Those are two reasonable possibilities, aren’t they detective?


I doubt CCN will ever take up your suggestion to out commenters, because you are right most won’t post their name and traffic will grind to a halt.


-6

The cloak of anonymity you speak is done out of concern for our privacy and safety, especially on a sight that has current and ex-law enforcement lurking about. You folks still have your inside contacts that can, and most of the time will, give you any information you want about any individual you choose to look into. Do all retired cops do this, no! But the ones who do, and there are many, ruin it for those who wouldn’t.

Your dirty ass peers are what you are judged by Gary and Jon, clean up that mess before calling anybody out as a coward for not using their real name anywhere ex-cops or current ones lurk!


6

Some can use “scumbag” and not get “moderated”, but those of us who are not of the protected class can’t even use “coward” without getting ousted… interesting! Anyway…

You’re not law enforcement Gary, never were. You’re a retired probation officer, nothing more. The only reason that probation officers were given a peace officer designation in the first place was to protect them the same way real cops are protected, with laws that enhance sentencing limits for criminal acts against them, and that’s it.

Your main job was suppose to be to supervise and mentor those entrusted into your care; making sure they followed their terms of probation set down by the court while helping them reach their rehabilitation goals. I know that isn’t the case anymore, and you do as well. Your job security is at risk with rehabilitation, just like the parole officer, the correctional officer and the rest of those given a peace officers designations without merit. You were a custody officer, nothing more.


3

I’ve seen this guy hanging around Chevron all the time right there on that brick wall. He’s got his red bike you just hanging out not sure what he’s doing here all the time. If the guy is on meth it’s explains why he’s up all night long hanging around the gas station all the time. In some way I feel sorry for him because he’s homeless and he’s got no place to go and if the guy only has bicycle how in the heck is going make to Bakersfield on questionable warrant for his arrest, it would be easier just to settle the warrant San Luis Obispo, just give the guy some long hours community service work. He can pick up trash downtown that kind of thing give a free meal each day and some rehab to get him off the meth.


14

This video Chief Deanna Cantrell releases but refuses to release the footage from her storm trooper detectives illegal search after she lost her gun. She also refuses to release the phone records……


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