Video footage of a group of police officers in California beating a man with batons is being investigated by the department after the city’s police chief conceded that it appeared “horrific and inflammatory”.
Officers from the city of Salinas were filmed repeatedly striking Jose Velasco, who is said by his sister to have a mental illness, as he writhed around on a street on Friday.
Velasco, 28, appears from the video clip to be hit on his head, legs, hands and back during the 45-second beating. At one point, five police officers struggle with him as sirens from their vehicles wail. One officer is seen arriving on the scene halfway through the clash and vigorously striking Velasco at least nine times.
Police said officers were called to a report of Velasco assaulting his mother on the pavement and running into traffic. “As the officers tried to get Velasco off of his mother by pulling him away, Velasco began to violently resist and attacked the officers,” the department said in a statement.
Two attempts to subdue Velasco with a Taser were unsuccessful, according to police, who claimed the 28-year-old managed to grab one of the stun guns. “Velasco continued to struggle and resist, eventually needing five officers and the use of batons to control and place him into handcuffs,” the police statement said.
Identifying herself as Velasco’s sister, Antoinette Ramirez challenged the police account in a posting beneath the YouTube clip. “He didn’t try to kill my mom,” Ramirez said. “She walked away just fine.” Ramirez said in a second comment: “My poor brother. He is mentally ill and the cops had no right to keep hitting him he was already on the floor.”
Kelly McMillin, the Salinas police chief, told KSBW television the officers struck Velasco to force him to show both hands in case he tried to reach for a weapon and to handcuff him.
The police chief said he “absolutely” had concerns about what the video footage showed but urged people to bear in mind what Velasco was alleged to have done beforehand and “start making sense how we got there”.
“I think anybody who looks at that video without context would have concerns because it looks terrible,” said McMillin. He said later: “Just the video alone I agree is horrific and inflammatory.”
McMillin said: “The reality is, actual force and actual violence is difficult to watch.” He said the incident was not filmed by any police vehicle cameras or officer body cameras. The person filming the footage posted online could be heard remarking that other people were recording with their own cellphones.
The police chief said Velasco had been drinking and using methamphetamine, a drug that McMillin said helped him resist pain during the confrontation. He was “brought under control” by chemical sedation.
Velasco attempted to attack officers and paramedics en route to a hospital, police said, and was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault on an officer causing injury and resisting arrest.
