A video going viral on Facebook shows Connecticut cops beating a man who called them after a minor car accident on November 10.
“Don’t hurt my son; don’t hurt my son,” the victim’s mother pleas while recording the beating.
“Get back!” Bridgeport cop Christina Arroyo shouts.
“Or you’re next!”
Video footage shows four Bridgeport cops attempting to subdue Aaron Kearney, 18, after learning his license was suspended.
Arroyo can be seen hitting the side of Kearney’s face with her hand while other officers hold his head.
He called his mother about the accident before calling the Bridgeport police.
It turns out, Kerney is a college student who comes from a law enforcement family with a long line of police officers.
Tiffany Eilliot, Kerney’s aunt, whose mother is a retired city cop, said she believes officer Arroyo used excessive force.
“She shouldn’t be a police officer anymore, that’s very clear from her actions,”Elliot told the CTPost.
“I come from a family of police officers so I understand when officers say they feel threatened. But this female officer clearly was not being threatened when she beat my nephew.”
Officers claim Kearney became agitated and physically threatened officer Arroyo.
As more officers arrived, they also felt threatened, even though Kearney had no weapons and doesn’t appear to be resisting.
On top of being beaten, Kearney was charged with breach of peace and assault on a police officer after the incident.
Police Chief Armando “A.J.” Perez placed the officers seen in the video on paid leave and ordered an investigation by the city’s Office of Internal Affairs.
“When it comes to my attention that there are legitimate questions surrounding an officer’s use of force, I place that officer on administrative status,” Perez said
“This status removes the officer from contact with the public while the case is expeditiously and vigorously investigated by the Bridgeport Police Office of Internal Affairs. This measure is taken to protect both the officer and the public while the officer is afforded their due process. I have taken this step with the officers involved in the incident Friday night following a motor vehicle accident on Seaview Avenue, some of which was filmed on video and posted to social media.”
On Sunday, Elliot, along with about 20 other people, attended a rally at the Bridgeport police department protesting what happened to her nephew.
Warning: the video, which some may find graphic, contains profanities.
