Handcuffs sit on a table at a hotel in Minot, N.D., on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015.(Photo: Martha Irvine, AP)
Video is circulating on the Internet that appears to show a Stockton, Calif., police officer roughing up a black male teen for what social media commenters say was jaywalking.
Later in the video, up to nine officers are seen restraining the teen, who appears to be crying.
A spokesman for the police department said, however, that the 16-year-old boy was doing more than jaywalking in the Tuesday morning incident, but walking in a bus-only lane reserved for buses to enter a depot and drop off passengers. The teen refused to move when the officer ordered him to move and began using expletives against the officer and telling him he would not move, Officer Joe Silva, public information officer for the agency, told USA TODAY.
Further exacerbating the situation was that the teen grabbed the officer's baton and nearly gained control of it,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Silva said. The <span style="color: Red;">*</span>escalation prompted the officer to call for backup, according to Silva.
"Our officer then used weapon-retention technique -- he was able to get his baton back," Silva said.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"If people would just comply with the lawful orders of law enforcement officers and if they didn't try to grab or take away weapons, force would never have to be used."
The family of the teen has filed a formal complaint against the department, Silva said. The teen is not being identified because he is a juvenile, Silva said.
A preliminary investigation appears to show that the officer, who the department did not name, acted correctly, Silva said.
The incident comes at a time when tensions between police agencies and constituents, especially black constituents, have been high and clashes between law enforcement and black males appear to make news on a regular basis.
In the video, a woman can be heard shouting at police to stop roughing up the teen, and saying over and over, "that's a kid!"
Reaction to the incident on the police department’s Facebook page was angry.
“You people are disgusting and need to learn how to respect the community you ‘serve,’ “ wrote Brandon Adams of La Habra Calif. “Go back to the sand box and bully some 3rd graders …. Punks!!!!!!”
“You are disgusting!” wrote John Zolis of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “A 16 year old kid jay walking deserves this? Exactly why police are hated!”
The teen was cited for trespassing, for blocking the bus lane, and for resisting arrest, Silva said.
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