A black sixteen-year-old was forcibly arrested in the Northern California city of Stockton on Tuesday after a police officer accused him of jaywalking, according to an NBC report. Video of the incident, taken by a bystander, has since gone viral.
NBC reported that the confrontation started when a cop approached the teen for allegedly walking in the bus-only lane, requesting that he move onto the sidewalk. The bystander’s recording begins moments later, with the teenager sitting on a divider while the officer stands over him, baton in hand.
In the footage, the officer, who is forcing the teenager’s arms and legs into a pretzel shape, repeatedly tells the teenager to “stop resisting.” Bystanders can be heard yelling “He’s just a kid” and “Get off him!”
Moments later, eight additional officers arrive. Several of them force the teen to the ground and forcibly arrest him.
According to NBC, the teen was cited for trespassing and resisting arrest, and the Stockton Police Department is contending that the arrest was within policy guidelines.
Department spokesman Joseph Silva told NBC that the teen “did not comply with the officer’s request,” cursed at him, and “tried to grab his baton.”
The Guardian reported that the incident was under review by the department because any use of force automatically requires an investigation.
The teenager’s family is contesting the police’s version of the event, NBC reported, and filed a formal complaint with the city on Thursday.
Edgar Avedaño, who NBC said is the witness who posted video of the incident to YouTube, recounted a different version of the incident on his Facebook page.
“The kid got stopped for ‘jaywalking’ when he barely stepped out of the bus he was 2 feet away from the sidewalk when the cop stopped him for ‘jaywalking’. The cop was telling him to take a sit [sic] but the teen kept walking to his bus but the cop kept grabbing his arm & the kid took off the cop’s hand off his arm so the cop took out his baton & that’s when I started recording because everything happened too quick. He didn’t have to hit the kid with the baton & no need to call about 20 cops.”
Video of the incident is posted below.
