A Pima County sheriff鈥檚 deputy is on administrative leave after he was video-recorded wrestling a 15-year-old quadruple amputee to the ground while arresting him for disorderly conduct at a group home, officials said Friday.
The eight-minute video released this week by the Pima County Public Defender鈥檚 Office shows a portion of an altercation between Deputy Manuel Van Santen and two teen residents at a group home on Sept. 26.
鈥淚 was horrified. I cried actually. I鈥檓 in disbelief that anybody would treat a child that way, especially a man with a badge and a gun. It was horrific,鈥 said Public Defender Joel Feinman.
Feinman鈥檚 office represents the limbless teen who is shown in the video, who lives at the group home because he is in the custody of the 蜜柚直播 Department of Child Safety. His first name is Immanuel. The 蜜柚直播 is not using his last name because he is underage.
People are also reading…
鈥淚t was Immanuel鈥檚 decision as well, he decided he wanted the video to be released because he wanted the public to know what happened to him and he wants the public to understand what kids like him face often times at the hands of police officers,鈥 Feinman said.
鈥淗e supposedly knocked over a trash can and was yelling and screaming at the employee of the group home,鈥 Feinman said. 鈥淭he deputy showed up, found Immanuel still upset, Immanuel was then yelling at the deputy. Immanuel tried to move past the deputy and at that point, that鈥檚 when the deputy tackled him.鈥
The Pima County Attorney鈥檚 Office dropped the misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge against Immanuel after the video was released Thursday, first to KOLD-TV, and subsequently posted on many local and national media websites.
Van Santen, an 11-year veteran of the Sheriff鈥檚 Department, was placed on leave while the incident is investigated.
The video apparently begins in the middle of the incident, with Immanuel screaming at Van Santen to let him go as he鈥檚 being pinned down on the kitchen floor by the deputy鈥檚 body. The struggle leads to the teen being pushed against a refrigerator.
Van Santen later asks, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your problem?鈥
Later in the video, after Van Santen stops holding Immanuel down and the teen sits up, Van Santen is seen bending over toward him and yelling, 鈥淚鈥檓 telling you to stop moving and you still moved, so shut the hell up. 鈥︹
鈥淚鈥檒l raise my voice at you whenever I (expletive) want, do you understand?鈥 the deputy says.
When a 16-year-old boy who was video-recording the altercation comments, Van Santen tells him to 鈥渟hut the hell up鈥 and to go to his room.
Van Santen later grabs the older teen to detain him, putting his arms behind his back and pushing him into a wall. That teen has by then passed his phone off to another to keep recording.
Chief Criminal Deputy Jonathan Mosher, with the Pima County Attorney鈥檚 Office, said Friday in a written statement:
鈥淵esterday, for the first time, our office saw the video from the September 26th, 2019, incident. The Public Defender obtained this video and released it to news media, but our office was not given any opportunity to review this video until yesterday. Upon reviewing the video, we have dismissed all charges pertaining to this incident.鈥
The 蜜柚直播 Department of Child Safety said it is also looking into the incident.
鈥淭he safety of the children in our care is our top priority. We are currently working with law enforcement and the group home to review the incident,鈥 said Darren DaRonco, a spokesman for DCS.
Feinman said teens living in DCS group homes have often been abused or abandoned.
Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier said it is premature to talk about potential discipline of the deputy or possible changes in departmental training.
鈥淚 have seen the video. There are things on the video that are concerning,鈥 Napier said in an interview Friday. 鈥淲e鈥檝e launched an investigation in our department. At conclusion of the investigation, we鈥檒l turn over the findings to the County Attorney鈥檚 Office for review.鈥