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Roger Carlos was in the 10600 block of Westover Hills Boulevard taking photos of a building that will soon be home to his wife's medical practice, when he was approached by three officers around 2:30 p.m. The officers were identified as an undercover drug task force officer and two SAPD SWAT members.
According to an SAPD incident report released to the I-Team, the officers had been pursuing a suspect nearby who was wanted on a felony warrant.
Josue Gonzalez, 27, fled from police away from Loop 410 along the Highway 151 access road before he exited at Westover Hills and ditched his car in the parking lot of a restaurant. The restaurant is a few hundred feet from where Carlos was standing.
"All three of them started beating me on the head," said Carlos, who still showed visible signs of the beating when he spoke with KENS 5 weeks after the incident. "It was unbelievable. I couldn't believe it was happening to me."
Carlos said he was struck about 50 times, even though he complied with the officers' instructions and did not fight back.
Shortly after being handcuffed and explaining to officers that he owned the property, a fourth officer approached and said the suspect was in custody nearby.
Carlos was hospitalized after the beating. He was treated for a large gash above his eye and a broken tooth. Swelling of his head was so severe, doctors performed a CT scan of Carlos' head as well.
"I could understand taking somebody down hard. I can understand the need for that and securing them, but that's not what happened. I got on the ground, I was no threat to anybody, I was fully compliant," said Carlos, who has no criminal history.
"Clearly it was a case of mistaken identity," SAPD Chief William McManus said. "From the report that I've read, from the photo that I saw and from your description, I've not seen anything at this point that would indicate to me that anything out of order happened."
McManus said officers reported that Carlos kept his hands underneath his body when he went to the ground, and officers had no idea if Carlos had a weapon.
According to an SAPD incident report released to the I-Team, the officers had been pursuing a suspect nearby who was wanted on a felony warrant.
Josue Gonzalez, 27, fled from police away from Loop 410 along the Highway 151 access road before he exited at Westover Hills and ditched his car in the parking lot of a restaurant. The restaurant is a few hundred feet from where Carlos was standing.
"All three of them started beating me on the head," said Carlos, who still showed visible signs of the beating when he spoke with KENS 5 weeks after the incident. "It was unbelievable. I couldn't believe it was happening to me."
Carlos said he was struck about 50 times, even though he complied with the officers' instructions and did not fight back.
Shortly after being handcuffed and explaining to officers that he owned the property, a fourth officer approached and said the suspect was in custody nearby.
Carlos was hospitalized after the beating. He was treated for a large gash above his eye and a broken tooth. Swelling of his head was so severe, doctors performed a CT scan of Carlos' head as well.
"I could understand taking somebody down hard. I can understand the need for that and securing them, but that's not what happened. I got on the ground, I was no threat to anybody, I was fully compliant," said Carlos, who has no criminal history.
"Clearly it was a case of mistaken identity," SAPD Chief William McManus said. "From the report that I've read, from the photo that I saw and from your description, I've not seen anything at this point that would indicate to me that anything out of order happened."
McManus said officers reported that Carlos kept his hands underneath his body when he went to the ground, and officers had no idea if Carlos had a weapon.
Now I'm a LEO myself and I'm usually very pro-law enforcement when it comes to things like this, but this is inexcusable. It's bad enough that an innocent citizen was apparently gang-tackled to the ground and beaten bloody, but the chief's comments are what really sends it over the top.
"McManus said officers reported that Carlos kept his hands underneath his body when he went to the ground, and officers had no idea if Carlos had a weapon." So when the cops are ignorant of the facts, anything goes, and citizens beware? Because that's apparently the First Rule of Policing.
So in the world according to Chief McManus, when a citizen is unexpectedly and unjustly tackled and beaten by the police, all innocent people should have the presence of mind to fall flat on their face, arms and legs splayed wide open. As he was getting beaten, Carlos should have been considerate enough to see the police point of view here. His main concern should have been for their safety, not his own. Obviously, only guilty and dangerous people attempt to break the fall with their hands, or clutch at the places on their bodies that have just been struck with blows, thereby justifying even more blows.
McManus' perspective-- that an innocent man set upon by police required a beating because he didn't appreciate his duty to react in a manner that put the officers' safety first, is the stuff of insanity. After all, mistakes happen, but the cops weren't harmed, and that's all that really matters. Right, Chief?
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