In Victoria, Texas a police officer was just recorded beating and tasering a 76-year-old man who called the cop a “Goddamned Nazi Stormtrooper.” These sound like pretty harsh words until you find out that the officer was harassing the man for an expired inspection sticker, even though the vehicle had dealer tags which makes it completely exempt from such stickers.
The 23-year-old cop was placed on administrative leave on Friday after beating and tasering Pete Vasquez.
Vasquez was driving a work-owned dealer vehicle on Thursday when Officer Nathanial Robinson started harassing him. When Vasquez explained the exemption to the cop, Robinson became enraged.
The dashcam video shows it all. Robinson slams Vasquez onto the hood of the patrol car before forcing him to the ground, then shocking him twice while on the ground.
“He just acted like a pit bull, and that was it,” Vasquez said. “For a while, I thought he was going to pull his gun and shoot me.”
Chief J.J. Craig said that he took this matter very seriously and offered a personal apology to Vasquez, but he stopped short of disciplining the rogue officer.
“Public trust is extremely important to us,” Craig said, hoping that his apology will keep his department from getting sued.
“Sometimes that means you have to take a real hard look at some of the actions that occur within the department,” he continued.
“You want to make sure you give the right kind of person a badge and a gun,” he finally added.
Larry Urich, a co-worker of Vasqueze at the car lot, told local Victoria Advocate reporters that the officer should be fired and prosecuted for assault.
“I told the officer, ‘What in the hell are you doing?’ This gentleman is 76 years old,” Urich explained. “The cop told me to stand back, but I didn’t shut up. I told him he was a goddamned Nazi Stormtrooper.”
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