Texas Cops Under Investigation For Excessive Force Against Teen
- Details
- Category: Atlanta
- Published on Monday, 26 November 2012 17:00
- Written by The Atlanta Daily World
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A police officer and his partner are under investigation for video showing them roughly arresting a teenager in Hurst, Texas.
The clip, which recently went viral, shows the officer getting violent with 17-year-old Andrew Rodriguez. According to CBS DFW, the first officer stopped Rodriguez and his two friends at Bellaire Park because they looked suspicious. Rodriguez’s friend, Jordan Rojas, recorded the video.
While checking through the men’s records, the officer found an open warrant for Rodriguez stemming from an unpaid trespassing ticket. At this point, the officer told him he was going to jail for the warrant and Rodriguez decided to call his mother. Ignoring the officer’s request to get off his cell phone was what prompted the struggle, according to Rodriguez’s friend.
“The officer asked him to get off the phone and he continued to call his mom because he was already on it and then that’s when the officer tackled him,” Rojas said. “That’s when I started recording.”
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During their scuffle, the officer can be heard telling Rodriguez to stop resisting, even though Rodriguez says he can’t breathe. Shortly thereafter, the backup officer rushes in and strikes Rodriguez with his knee. He then repeatedly yells, “Move and Die!” “Move and f***in Die!”
While pressing his knee against Rodriguez’s neck, the officer warns him to “sit down and shut the f**k up! Move so I can kick your a**! When the police are talking to you, you sit down and down up! This ain’t no game!”
Eventually the officer brings Rodriguez to his feet, at which point he complains that “you came over here and kneed me in the face!” The officer’s response seems to confirm the allegation. “I sure did! You got it tape,” the officer said. “Arnold 654!” The officer is Black. Rodriguez is then cuffed for resisting arrest.
Rodriguez’s mother says she wants the second officer fired and plans on filing a complaint with the Hurst Police Department. “Who is the guy? Why is he doing this? You don’t talk to a kid like that,” Kelly Pope said while watching the video. The HPD released a statement addressing the incident:
“This is not behavior that the City of Hurst promotes or condones in any way. We strive to build a stronger, safer community through our work around the city and will continue to do so through appropriate action. The incident will be investigated internally.”
Hurst Police Chief Steve Moore revealed the second officer’s identity to CBS 11 as Disraeli Arnold, who has been with the department for four and a half years. Currently, no charges are pending against either officer.
