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The incident, which was videotaped by a passing motorist, took place May 29, when officers were attempting to arrest a man
The investigation into the incident was undertaken by the Orange County DA's Office, after numerous calls from the public after the video was published on social media.
The video, which was shot after an officer was allegedly hit in the face by the suspect while resisting arrest, shows police struggling with the 6-foot-4, 250-pound man as he is on the ground, and it appears one officer knees the man, as another hits the man as they attempt to gain control over the man.
According to the DA's Office, the witness said that when he came upon the incident he saw officers approach the man and attempt to apprehend him, but that as they did so, the man pulled his hands away from the officers and fled down a street. The witness said that when officers again approached the man, he adopted a fighting stance and pushed his hands aggressively at one officer.
He also said he saw the officer being struck in the face before he began filming.
The witness added that the man had resisted being arrested from the time the police initially confronted him and that he struggled with officers both when he was standing, and even after officers had placed him on the ground. The witness said the suspect refused to place his hands behind his back and was not fully under the control of the police until additional officers arrived, at which point he quit filming.
The DA's Office, which also interviewed other witnesses, said officers were attempting to arrest the man as part of an undercover investigation into cocaine sales, and that they found cocaine in his possession. The police were also aware that at the time they attempted to apprehend the suspect that he had been released on $40,000 bail for other felony charges pertaining to cocaine.
The DA's Office attempted to interview the man who was arrested, but he turned down the request.
“Although the District Attorney’s Office generally only comments when criminal charges are filed in a case, we are releasing the results of this investigation, and the facts which led to our conclusions, in order to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the investigation,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.
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