Santa Ana officials were investigating Monday after a video circulating on social media appeared to show two police officers throwing a suspect to the ground and beating him.
The occasionally shaky video shows the officers holding 28-year-old Florentino Junior Lopez against the hood of a police car.
“All of the sudden, things got out of control,” said Lopez’s attorney, John Kremer.
After Lopez says something to the officers, he is yanked to the ground and punched repeatedly. The incident ended when two other officers arrived on scene to restore order, at which point Lopez was handcuffed, Kremer said Monday evening.
The incident took place at around 9:30 p.m. Thursday outside the Santa Ana home where Lopez lives with his parents and sister, according to the attorney. Kremer says the video “speaks for itself” and shows excessive use of force by the officers.
Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua said in a social media post that the “matter is under investigation and details cannot be shared that could compromise the process.”
“However, I support transparency and a thorough investigation into this matter,” Amezcua wrote Sunday. “Remember, there are officers who are professional and we cannot judge all officers by one’s actions, but I will continue to monitor this investigation.”
Lopez, who works in construction, was on probation at the time of the incident, Kremer said. Earlier this year, his client served a 10-day sentence for carrying a loaded weapon, resisting arrest, and for being involved in a hit-and-run incident.
Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez said in a statement Sunday that his department is “conducting a thorough review of the incident, including body worn camera footage, reports, and the circumstances surrounding the arrest.”
“I have personally reviewed the video and want to assure our community that we take every use of force seriously,” his statement read.
According to Lopez’s attorney, he and his younger sister were smoking on their front lawn Thursday night when the two officers arrived and summoned him out into the street. Kremer’s sister caught the interaction that followed on video.
Kremer said his client, who was hit on both sides of his face, is facing charges of resisting an officer and smoking near a school and was cited for being a pedestrian on a roadway under the California Vehicle Code.
Lopez’s bail was set at $20,000, Kremer said. His next court date is set for Oct. 13 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
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