SLO police officer punched man’s head during arrest, video shows. He’s now on paid leave
A San Luis Obispo Police Department officer was placed on paid leave after hitting a man during his arrest.
In a statement, the San Luis Obispo Police Department said that officers were sent to the 800 block of Froom Ranch Way on July 17 to respond to reports of a man “yelling and dancing in the roadway.”
The man resisted arrest “and force was used,” police said.
A video of the arrest, posted to the YouTube channel SLO County Observer, shows three San Luis Obispo Police Department officers attempting to handcuff a man lying on his stomach.
In the video, the officers ask the unidentified man multiple times to let go of the handcuffs
One officer is heard telling the man, “I’m going to punch you in the face if you don’t let go of the handcuffs.”
The officer continues to ask the man to release the handcuffs, the video shows, and then hits the man in the head about three times.
According to police, the man was injured during the arrest and treated at the hospital before being sent to San Luis Obispo County Jail.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department said the officer involved in the incident, who the agency did not identify, was placed on paid leave until an investigation into what happened is completed.
Police said the officer was injured during the arrest, and was treated at the hospital and later released.
The agency did not identify the man who was arrested in the July 17 incident or state which charges he faces. He reportedly had warrants out for his arrest from another county, but police did not say which county or what the warrants were for.
As of midday Thursday, the video, titled “*SLO PD- MALE ARRESTED WITH BOWS TO THE DOME*,” had more than 20,000 views.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 3:22 PM.
