This press release is a summary of the facts known at this time.  This incident is still being investigated and the preliminary information may change.  Additional details will be released as they become available.

On Monday, April 10, 2017 at 5:07 p.m., a uniformed Sacramento Police officer attempted to stop a pedestrian who was observed crossing the street unlawfully near the intersection of Cypress Street and Grand Avenue in North Sacramento. 

After the violation, the officer exited his patrol vehicle and attempted to contact and detain the man.  The officer gave multiple verbal commands for the man to stop but the subject ignored his instructions and proceeded to walk away from the officer.  A verbal exchange occurred in the street between the two and the pedestrian began removing his jacket, challenging the officer to fight.  The officer charged at the pedestrian to take him into custody. 

For an unknown reason, the officer threw the pedestrian to the ground and began striking him in the face with his hand multiple times.  Within a few moments, additional officers arrived to assist in handcuffing the suspect. 

As soon as the subject was handcuffed, a supervisor responded to the scene to evaluate the situation.  After review of the officer’s In Car Camera System, (ICC) the supervisor initiated a personnel investigation into the officer’s actions.    

The videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento Police Officer.  As a result, the Department’s Internal Affairs Division is investigating the event. This evening, the involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation.   

The officers involved in this incident had vehicles equipped with ICC video which captured portions of the event.  Those ICC videos are being reviewed and evaluated for possible release to the public.  Additionally, a passing witness captured the incident on video which was subsequently distributed via social media.  The department asks if there are any other witnesses that captured the incident on video, please contact the Department as this information is important to the investigation. The City’s Office of Police Accountability is working in conjunction with the Police Department to investigate this event. 

The Sacramento Police Department encourages any witnesses to this event to please contact the Sacramento Police Department through the dispatch center at (916) 264-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or submit an anonymous tip using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.  Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.