Video of arrest by SDPD officers in Southcrest sparks outrage, investigation
Video of San Diego police officers hitting a man as they arrested him in Southcrest over the weekend has led to an investigation.
The incident happened at 38th Street and National Avenue on Saturday night. Police and witnesses say a man blocked his ex’s car in with his own, and she called 911.
Aurora Morales, who lives across the street, said that she was inside her home when she heard what sounded like an argument between a man and a woman. When she looked out the window, she saw what appeared to be a man trying to hit the woman’s car window.
“It seemed like he wanted her to get out of the car,” Morales said.
She said she then heard the man telling the woman he was going to pull something out of the car. That’s when Morales saw the man grab what appeared to be an iron tool to break the window.
Witnesses say there were more than a dozen squad cars but just a few moments captured on video have now prompted an investigation.
The video shows police responding to a domestic violence call. As the suspect kneels on the ground, one officer can be seen punching him as he takes him down, while another puts a knee on the back of his neck.
Community activist Tasha Williamson said after learning about the incident, she sent a complaint to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, Mayor Todd Gloria and State Attorney General Rob Bonta, among other officials.
“This is not in San Diego PD’s training, this is not in San Diego Police Policy, and this is illegal, and so we are saying hold them accountable for it,” Williamson said.
Williamson said the video appears to be a violation of the police use-of-force policy.
“He puts his knee on the neck of the person that they’re trying to detain or arrest,” Williamson said.
That’s something that’s prohibited, according to patrol policies cited in an SDPD Policy manual revised in 2022.
Wahl says the officers were told the man had some sort of weapon to break the window of his ex partner’s car.
“I become outraged just like everybody else when you see videos like this,” Wahl said.
He said their use of force is under internal investigation.
“Certainly, the type of strikes are very concerning to me in that moment with, with that level of noncompliance, and that, those are things that we’re looking into,” Wahl said. “… But when it comes to controlling somebody, when they’re on the ground, that can be very difficult.”
Once it’s complete, San Diego’s Commission on Police Practices will review the department’s investigation and make their recommendations.
“Anyone who watches that video can see that, you know, it’s excessive,” said Ada Rodriguez, chair of the commission. “… It hurts our community, and right now, you can sense the community’s anger.”
San Diego police released a new statement on Monday evening, saying, in part, “When viewing short videos like these on social media, it is important to remember that they only capture part of the incident. The complaint investigation will review all available evidence to fully understand what occurred.”
