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Did Santa Maria police officers assault DUI suspect?

October 21, 2019

By CCT STAFF

A group of Santa Maria police officers appear to rough up a suspected DUI driver after ordering him to crawl on the street, while multiple bystanders videotape the incident.

Officers stopped the suspected DUI driver on the 800 block of West Barrett Street on Sunday. The video starts with the man standing in front of a police cruiser while officers shout orders from beside the car. The suspect does not fight back and appears to have trouble understanding the officers.

The man kneels on the street with his hands in the air, and an officer orders him to put his hands on the ground. When he does not comply, she orders him to crawl.

“Because I said so! Crawl! Crawl! Crawl!” the officer shouts at the suspect who crawls on his knees towards the police car.

An officer orders the man to “lay down,” but instead he sits down. Nearby, a woman yells at officers to talk to the suspect in Spanish. They appear to ignore her.

With the man face down on the ground, officers order him to put his hands at his side. He, again, does not comply.

An officer then fires multiple rounds of what appears to be pepper spray at the man’s face. Another officer straddles the suspect’s back and begins punching him, while a police K9 bites his leg.

“I’m recording this shit!” a witness yells at officers “No. No. No. No. No. That’s police brutality.”

The police department is looking into the incident.


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This evening I contacted the Santa Maria PD and spoke with their non-emergency officer who advised me that there were two videos and one was taken down. The video here was live just before I called and has now been taken down. The things that make you go, hmm~


~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo


The officer was quite defensive and was happy to report that the “suspect ‘may’ have been on drugs” and the officers have been trained…


She was responding to my comments about the smallest man on the scene throwing the first punch and then another to the head region of the suspect. I asked her if she saw that video and had she seen the Rodney King video where excessive force was used after a high speed chase from Pasadena to Long Beach in what can only be viewed as frustration in response to such disrespect for life, limb and the law by Mr. King.


Unfortunately, the officer could not report the current policy regarding the release of any body or dash cam footage.


The root cause in both cases rests with the “perp.” Don’t let it ruin your day.


1

Perhaps the “shooter” of the video has sold it to a news outlet.


-1

This particular gang of thugs doesn’t need colored rags hanging from their back pockets. They have the Blue Line flag to differentiate and separate them from us mere citizens that are strong armed into paying for such public service.


There was more than enough manpower to subdue that individual and he didn’t appear to be fighting. In fact, he seemed quite timid and docile. They pepper balled him and immediately jumped onto his back and started firing off punches. That is certainly not what we pay these incompetent morons to be doing to us. It’s bad enough so many of them have such awful interpersonal and communication skills. When you pile on a bad attitude and an aggressive streak, some amongst the population are going to be protected and served right into the hospital, or worse yet, the morgue.


Look at all of those “heroes” just standing there letting that go on that way and for that long. Until there are NO bad cops…there are NO good cops. It really is that simple.


-4

I’ll wait until the dash cam footage of the entire event to come out before passing any judgement other than the K9 cop has piss poor handling skills.


6

I simply do not understand why cops act this way. It puts their careers, homes, families, even their freedom at risk. It even risks the careers of their superiors. More and more I read about cops who are charged and convicted of assault, battery, even murder, and are spending time, sometimes even the remainder of their life in jail. It would seem to me it is in their own self-interest NOT to do the things I see in this video.


I expect to get a lot of inverted carets for this, but I have no tolerance for gratuitous violence committed against anyone by anyone. Those of you who can live with it go ahead and click the inverted caret.


Some of you are going to say it is just a few bad apples, and most cops are good people who would never do this. However, those cops watching without participating in these crimes, and not taking action, are just a culpable making them what? Also bad apples? I think REALLY good cops are few and far between.


16

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you stated…except that entire first paragraph. The reason that they act this way is precisely because they know that, in the ridiculously vast majority of situations, they won’t face repercussions. Their jobs, family, freedom, etc. is most certainly NOT on the line “in this day and age” of police unions, Blue Line desecrated American flags and a brotherhood that will stand idly by, or even lie in reports and on the witness stand to back up any and all of your behaviors. They view us all as liars, threats and nowhere near as good as them…or else we’d BE one of them. They will simply investigate themselves and find no wrongdoing…like they do daily in every single corner of this once-great land and all throughout this once-noble profession.


Unfortunately, that same sad reality is exactly what will play out here.


1

You may be right for now, Realityland, but I hope not forever. It certainly used to be as you describe, but now I occasionally see cases like I describe, where the cops are punished for their crimes. Hope that trend continues.


0

Yes, the suspect was assaulted. Punishment is actually supposed to be related to offenses and administered after a court proceeding. The dog and punching go way too far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTT68LeoR7E


10

To bad, so sad. Get over it, if YOU screw up, YOU are screwed. Some expect law enforcement to curtsy to the criminals followed by a barrage of etiquette, WRONG! They are the good guys that morph into not nice when their job skills are subjectively required. Life in prison is not allowed to be filmed, being a punching bag is what can be filmed and hopefully a deterrent to prison.


-30

Jorge, your comments are really confusing to me. Are you saying “if you screwed up” you deserved to be roughed up by the police? Even have mans best friend attack you? All of this even if you are not resisting arrest (admittedly a fact we cannot fully discern from this story)?


My position is that Law enforcement are servants of the public, that’s you, me, and everyone. Further, you and me, and everyone are citizens, not subjects. Law enforcement ARE NOT OUR BOSS’. Rather, there job is to investigate crime, enforce laws, and make arrests. They are not personal body guards or “hall monitors” that we must please and say “mother may I.”


My point, there are behavioral expectations that ALL citizens and public servants must go along with in a civil society, it’s a two-way street. Just is…


From your comments it appears you don’t agree with my position. If I am wrong please feel free to clarify my interpretation of you comments. This is not meant to be an attack, just a dialogue.


Thanks


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