Earlier this week, a San Bernardino police officer was captured on video and slammed a 17-year-old girl into the ground and took her into custody.
Video filmed Wednesday afternoon showed at least four police cruisers in the 500 block of West 2nd Street as one police officer prepares to handcuff a teenager facing the cruiser. After a while, the officer removes the backpack from the teenager’s arm, then begins to slap her face first onto the pavement. Two other officers are ordered to record a backaway to the person recording the video, and one is ordered to pull out the baton and gesture towards the photographer.
As a result of the force used by the girl, the teenager had to put some stitches on her face and suffer from dislocated wrists, according to the teenager’s attorney general.
The San Bernardino Police Station said officers were trying to handcuff her when they saw her teenager slamming her into the ground. The names of the officers who used their strength on the girl were not disclosed.
“The officers were able to actively pull away, serve when takedown maneuvering was used, and put their hands on the cufflinks when they tried to leave the officer,” the department said in a statement.
The officer was called to the scene after receiving reports that someone had trespassed and attempted to fight another person. It is unclear what led to the teenager’s detention.
In addition to legal representatives, the teenagers’ families are also looking for support from civil rights activist Najee Ali.
“This is a clear case of police abuse and excessive force by the San Bernardino Police Department, and there is a long history of excessive force complaints from African American police brutality,” Ali said in a statement.
San Bernardino police said they are investigating the incident.
“All use of force by our officers is initially subject to thorough review by our supervisors and then through the administrative review process,” the department said in a statement. “The key question in every case is whether the force used is necessary, rational and within policy. This case is no exception, and its review is currently underway.”
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