A cell phone captures a U.S. marshal in California smashing a woman’s phone as she records police activity
A California woman, named Beatriz Paez, was recording police activity and claims she was terrified when a deputy U.S. marshal walked towards her and grabbed her cell phone out of her hands before smashing it with his foot. The entire incident was recorded by another woman with a smartphone from across the street.
The deputies had as many as 10 people lying face down on the grass when Paez initially arrived to the scene. She told the Los Angeles Times that they began releasing the suspects shortly after she turned on her phone’s video camera.
It’s our responsibility to take care of each other. It’s our constitutional right to film.”
Paez filed a complaint with police in South Gate, just south of Los Angeles. However, the police don’t have authority over marshals so Paez is also considering filing a lawsuit. Janice Hahn, the U.S. representative for Paez’s district, told CNN that she has written a letter to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and wants a federal investigation into the actions of the marshal. She called the marshal’s actions illegal because Paez wasn’t hindering an investigation or arrest.
The U.S. Marshal Service statement to the media acknowledging that the video shows their deputies states,
The U.S. Marshals Service is aware of video footage of an incident that took place Sunday in Los Angeles County involving a Deputy U.S. Marshal,” the statement said. “The agency is currently reviewing the incident.”
-Infinite Wiz (@InfiniteWiz)
