The Barstow Police Division stated it was investigating after video circulated of an officer hitting a person — whom authorities stated was resisting arrest — with a baton, at the same time as he fell to the bottom.
Within the video, shared with Fox 11, an officer swings the baton as a person backs away, earlier than ultimately falling to the bottom. As soon as the person is on the bottom, the cop seems to swing at him three extra instances.
The Police Division stated in a Fb assertion that it was “conscious {that a} resident captured a portion of this incident on video.” Police stated they’d a duplicate of the video and would conduct an investigation to find out if the power utilized by the officer was inside coverage and present regulation.
Police stated an officer had noticed Gary Christian — who they stated “was wished for an excellent felony, no bail probation violation warrant” — at about 4 p.m. within the 1200 block of East Major Avenue.
The officer tried to arrest Christian, police stated, however he “refused to adjust to the officer’s orders and bodily assaulted the officer.” Police stated the officer then deployed his Taser, which was ineffective.
“Christian then bodily assaulted the officer a second time, inflicting the officer to deploy his baton,” police stated. “[T]he officer struck Christian together with his baton whereas trying to arrest him.”
Extra officers arrived and took Christian into custody, in response to police.
Melissa Navarrete, who took the video, advised Fox 11 that she and her good friend hadn’t seen a Taser getting used and stated Christian “wasn’t resisting.”
“The man had his arms up and he’s transferring backward, like he’s not making an attempt to combat the cop,” Navarrete advised the outlet. “He’s not making an attempt to withstand something. … [H]e’s simply transferring and the cop is simply swinging and swinging.”
Christian, 43, was taken to a hospital, the place he was handled for minor contusions and abrasions to his proper leg, police stated. He was booked for allegedly resisting arrest and an excellent felony warrant.
