CARLSBAD, Calif. — Carlsbad Police Officers are under fire because of an incident involving a taser that happened a week ago.
The police department and a bystander both released videos of the incident.
Civil liberties advocates say the incident went from volatile to violent unnecessarily. They are now asking for police reform, specifically the use of de-escalation tactics.
Founder of North County Civil Liberties Coalition, Yusef Miller said, “If you see the video, there was zero de-escalation, and he wasn’t armed to our knowledge.”
Carlsbad Police released their body camera footage with a minute by minute explanation. The department says around a minute into their footage, two cameras that were attached by Velcro got knocked off. Miller told News 8, “A body camera should not be velcroed.”
Police say before 9 p.m. on June 11, a caller reported a man face down on the sidewalk at Ponto and Carlsbad Blvd. Medics were first on scene and when officers got there they say the man in the video charged the medics. They went on to say he resisted arrest, so they used a taser.
Once on the ground and in handcuffs, the officers put a mesh bag also known as a spit mask on the man’s head. He was taken to the hospital, released, then cited for resisting arrest, and being drunk in public.
Now, Yusef Miller is questioning the use of the taser saying, “We don’t know if this man had a mental crisis or if he was on drugs.”
Moms Demand Action said, “We are here because we believe in police reform and the moment is now.”
Carlsbad Police Department says their officers have taken de-escalation training courses, but Miller says that isn’t enough. “Is it policy or is it window dressing,” said Miller.
A spokesperson for Carlsbad Police pointed out this is one of eleven departments in California with zero cases of deadly force, and prior to this, they say they have had zero complaints of excessive force.