Viral video of California police kicking man during arrest sparks internal investigation
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The San Jose Police Department in southern California has opened an internal investigation after video footage began to go viral of several officers kicking and beating a man while attempting to apprehend him.
A recording of the Saturday evening arrest of 22-year-old Juan
Moreno-Lopez was captured on the cell phone of an eyewitness who
then uploaded the video to the internet. In less than two days,
the original clip has been viewed on Facebook more than 340,000 times.
The three-minute recording shows several officers attempting to
arrest Moreno-Lopez and captures them eventually resorting to
beating him with batons and striking him with closed fists.
“Don’t hit him, it’s only one person,” a witness is
heard yelling in the background.
According to the San Jose PD, officers tried to approach
Moreno-Lopez on Saturday evening when he threw something in a
bush and took off running, Mercury News reported. Authorities
allege the man then confronted at least two officers in the
middle of the road and attempted to attack one of them with a
bottle, prompting them to call for backup.
Moreno-Lopez was taken to a nearby hospital after his arrest for
treatment and later booked into jail. He was booked on suspicion
of assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, being under
the influence of a stimulant, possession of methamphetamine and
destruction of evidence, Mercury News reported.
The San Jose PD acknowledged using physical force on
Moreno-Lopez, the newspaper reported, but said he continued to
fight with officers despite their attempts to restrain him.
READ MORE: ACLU wants Californians to record the cops
Nevertheless, local network KGO News reported Tuesday that the department is
asking other eyewitnesses to come forward while they investigate
the incident. According to KPIX 5, the San Jose PD’s internal affairs
division has opened a probe upon complaints that video displays
evidence of “police brutality.”
Less than a week earlier, the California chapter of the American
Civil Liberties Union rolled out a smart-phone application aimed
at empowering civilians to hold law enforcement accountable by
providing an easy-to-use platform for recording police activity.
The free “Mobile Justice CA” app lets iPhone and Android users
record video footage from their mobile phones with a click of a
button, then sends the clip straight to the ACLU.