Category: Excessive Force|Resisting Arrest

Adrian Salazar, age 22, was arrested on July 4 on Airport Road and has been charged with resisting arrest and, for the second time, driving while intoxicated (DWI). At the same location, 27-year-old Luis Pineda was also arrested. Both are from Conroe, Texas. According to police, Salazar allegedly admitted to having four alcohol beverages before rolling his pickup truck. Salazar’s family claims that he was afraid after the accident and a police officer treated him with excessive force and brutality. The family took a brief video and shared it, as alleged proof of the actions of the law enforcement officer at the scene. In response, the Conroe Police Department released the full dashcam video of the incident, which supposedly refutes those claims.

The video released by police is almost 10 minutes long. Philip Dupuis, Conroe Police Department Chief of Police, stressed that the officer who has been accused of alleged misconduct handled himself as he was trained to act in the circumstances involved. He said the officer behaved professionally.

Salazar has alleged that a police officer began punching him without provocation and when he was doing nothing at all. The police chief pointed out that the dashcam video shows the officer coaxing Salazar out from under the truck and then Salazar allegedly resisting arrest and scuffling with the officer.

On the one hand, Salazar’s family claims excessive force was used. The Police Department claims that the video from the dashcam proves their allegation to be wrong.

Chief Dupuis says that no formal complaints have been filed against the police department in connection with the arrest. The chief also said the police officer suffered injuries to his thumb and hand during the alleged altercation, and he missed several days of work to recover.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

English: The Courthouse was completed in 1884. It is located in Lampasas, Texas. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1971. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A video posted to Twitter shows a controversial incident during an early Thursday morning traffic stop on May 25, 2017, in Lampasas, Texas. The video seems to show that a young man pulled over for an alleged traffic violation is punched in the face four or more times allegedly by a Lampasas County Sheriff’s Deputy. Sheriff’s deputies were at the scene to provide assistance to Lampasas police at approximately 3:15 am. Police were called about a motorist driving erratically on U.S. Highway 281.

The video was taken by a passenger in the car that was pulled over. Her voice is heard on the video, screaming at law enforcement officers not to hit her friend. When she posted the video on Twitter, she alleged that it was a case of police brutality.

In the video, a sheriff’s deputy can be seen straddling the 18-year-old driver. He is allegedly hitting him as another officer tries to hold the young man’s legs. Lampasas County Sheriff Jess Ramos confirmed the identity of the deputy who allegedly struck the 18-year-old.

The driver who was pulled over was charged with driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest, assault of a public servant, and interference with public duties. A passenger in the vehicle, also an 18-year-old man, was charged with resisting arrest, assault of a public servant, being a minor in consumption of alcohol, and interference with public duties.

The sheriff’s office released a statement that they are aware of the video circulating on social media. Assistance from an outside law enforcement agency has been requested, to thoroughly review the alleged use of force during the arrests. The officer who allegedly struck the 18-year-old repeatedly has been placed on routine administrative leave until the investigation has been completed and conclusions are made known.

Lampasas is in Central Texas, approximately 55 miles west of Temple.

–Guest Contributor