Police Officer Accused Of Choking Boy, Pointing His Gun At Children
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EL PASO, TX (CBSMiami/AP) — A police officer in West Texas is accused of pointing a gun at a group of children before arresting a teen who recorded the confrontation.
The video, which has been viewed millions of times online, shows an El Paso officer briefly pointing his weapon at a group of boys. One boy is heard cursing at the officer right before the officer draws his gun, points the weapon at the group and says, "Back up, (expletive)."
An internal investigation into the incident is ongoing and the officer remains on desk duty, said El Paso police spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez on Monday. He did not identify the officer.
Elizabeth Flores told the El Paso Times the video started after the officer choked one of her sons and forced him to the ground. Flores said the video also shows two of her sons, Julian Saucedo and Jacob Saucedo, being taken into custody.
Officials previously said one minor and one adult were arrested. Both were taken into custody for interfering with the duties of a police officer, according to the officials.
The confrontation began after officers were dispatched for a criminal trespass call. Police received information that a large group of children might have been inside a vacant apartment without the owner's permission, according to a complaint affidavit obtained Monday.
Officers detained the group, the affidavit said, but Jacob Saucedo walked off the wall and began cursing at the officer. The child also said he would leave, according to the document, and refused to get against the wall.
The video recording begins with Jacob Saucedo on the ground. Moments later, the officer is seen briefly pointing his handgun at the group before holstering the weapon. Children are heard hurling more profanities at police throughout the video. After pointing the weapon at the group, the officer drew a baton as another officer handcuffed Jacob Saucedo on the ground.
The officer then arrested teenager Julian Saucedo, who was filming the confrontation and handed off the phone to his mother before being taken into custody. The video shows her running away from the officer.
The affidavit, however, said an officer saw Julian Saucedo walk onto the road once his brother had been put in the back of a squad car. According to the affidavit, Julian Saucedo was told to get off the road. He did not comply and "attempted to walk near the patrol unit and behind officers at times."
The video shows that both brothers were put into the cruiser at the same time.
According to court documents, Julian Saucedo was told multiple times to get off the roadway. But the video shows the officer who arrested him did not give such an order before approaching the teenager.
The footage does show the teenager being arrested after he is heard saying, "We're gonna put a report on these two fools. It's all good."
The affidavit also did not mention that an officer drew his weapon during the confrontation.
Gomez said a complaint affidavit only speaks to the probable cause elements of the offense and the specifics of why authorities are charging a person with a crime.