Policeman in Texas tasers 76-year-old man twice
Dashboard camera video shows Officer Nathanial Robinson tackling Pete Vasquez to the ground in an attempt to handcuff him.
Tue Dec 16, 2014 2:1AM GMT
A
US police officer from Victoria, Texas, was placed on administrative
leave on Friday while he is investigated for police brutality and
tasering an elderly man after a traffic stop.
Video from a police car’s dashboard camera shows officer Nathanial
Robinson, 23, tackled 76-year-old Pete Vasquez to the ground in an
attempt to handcuff him and then used a stun gun on him twice. The disturbing incident occurred on Thursday, when Vasquez, who works as a mechanic, was pulled over by Robinson while driving a dealer car back to the car dealership with an expired inspection sticker.
Vasquez said that he explained that the car belonged to a car dealer, and that the special dealer’s plates made the car legally exempt from having an inspection.
“He just acted like a pit bull, and that was it,” Vasquez said. “For a while, I thought he was going to pull his gun and shoot me.”
“The police department is supposed to train their police officers to be more conscientious and use common sense. I don't think he had any.”
Larry Urich, a 62-year-old sales manager at the dealership, was one of several witnesses who saw the incident. “I told the officer, ‘What in the hell are you doing?’ This gentleman is 76 years old,” Urich said. “The cop told me to stand back, but I didn’t shut up. I told him he was a [expletive] Nazi Stormtrooper.”
The Victoria police chief has apologized to the victim and confirmed that the vehicle's registration was exempt. The officer could face charges including official oppression, injury to the elderly and aggravated assault.
The incident comes amid nationwide protests in the US against police brutality following the death of a number of unarmed black men by white police officers who were not indicted.
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