AN INVESTIGATION HAS been launched after a video emerged of police in California beating up a suspect who had been tasered.
Aerial footage, recorded by a news helicopter, showed the man falling off a horse, and then being stunned with a taser by a sheriff’s deputy.
Two deputies immediately began punching him in the head and kneeing him in the groin. At one point, 11 deputies surrounded him.
He appears to have been kicked 17 times, punched 37 times and struck with batons four times. Thirteen blows appeared to be to the head.
NBC Los Angeles reports that the series of events started when deputies went to a house to serve a search warrant in an identity theft investigation.
The suspect took off in a vehicle and police followed, starting a pursuit in Apple Valley – an area more than 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Francis Jared Pusok (30) allegedly abandoned the vehicle, before stealing a horse.
In the footage, he did not appear to move from his position lying on the ground for more than 45 minutes. He did not appear to receive medical attention while deputies stood around him during that time.
The full video can be watched here.
Convictions
Pusok has convictions for resisting arrest, animal cruelty, disturbing the peace, attempted robbery and failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility.
San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told NBC the Taser was ineffective due to Pusok’s loose clothing.
“I can certainly understand the concerns in the community based on what they saw on the video,” McMahon said.
I’m disturbed by what I see in the video. But I don’t need to jump to conclusions at this point, until we do a complete and thorough investigation. If our deputy sheriff’s did something wrong, they’ll be put off work and they’ll be dealt with appropriately, all in accordance with the law as well as our department policy.
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