San Luis Obispo Police officer placed on leave after video circulating shows use of force
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – A San Luis Obispo Police officer was placed on administrative leave after a YouTube video circulated showing the officer using force during an arrest on Sunday, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
"We review each use of force incident to ensure policy is followed, and this incident is being reviewed as part of this process," the police department said in a tweet on Monday. "The officer depicted in the video using force has been place(d) on administrative leave while we thoroughly investigate and review the arrest and use of force."
— San Luis Obispo Police Department (@SLOCityPolice) July 19, 2022
The tweet is referencing a 20-minute YouTube video that appears to show three officers holding a man on the ground during an arrest.
The department warned that the video may be "unsettling to viewers."
The initial call for service began as officers were dispatched to reports of a man dancing and yelling in the roadway on the 800 block of Froom Ranch Way, according to Capt. Brian Amoroso.
"The man had multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest from another county," Amoroso told News Channel 3-12. "During the interaction with responding officers, he resisted arrest and force was used."
While the man is lying face-down on the ground with three officers holding him down and his arms around his back, he is heard yelling obscenities. He can be heard yelling statements such as "Why am I under arrest?" and "You haven't told me anything."
One officer is heard saying "I am going to punch you in the face if you don't let go of that handcuff right now." An officer then appears to proceed to slam his face multiple times.
The officers then walked the man to the police car and drove off.
The police department told News Channel 3-12 that body camera footage from the officers is not releasable at this time.
The man was treated and medically cleared at a local hospital before being booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail, according to Amoroso. An officer was also injured during the incident and was treated at the hospital, he added. The officer has since been released.
