A video of Santa Cruz police trying to arrest a cyclist has gone viral. It is raising questions and concerns that officers used excessive force during the arrest. “It looked like it was way too much force for anybody that happened to be riding a bike down the street,” said Phyllis Galvan who witnessed part of the encounter.“And then when I came out I saw a pile of about eight police officers, I couldn't see who was under it at first and then I saw a young man and he was seated,” added Galvan.The man in the video is Taran Whitley. Whitley is 29 and black.At one point during the struggle, Whitley could be heard saying, “What the f---, I’m sitting here. Why are you hurting me like this? I’m literally sitting down.” One female officer could be heard saying, “Stop resisting us.” “We were having flashbacks to the (George) Floyd incident because the kid was yelling for help saying that they were hurting him take their hands off of him, you know what did he do. Yeah, it didn't have to go that way,” said Galvan.It all happened Wednesday morning near the corner of West Cliff Drive and Bay Street. That's where police say Whitley, who was riding an e-bike, flew through a stop sign and failed to yield to pedestrians.When police tried to arrest him for providing false information, they say Whitley resisted; eight officers eventually showed up at the scene to take Whitley into custody. “We'll look and see if there was a need for that many as well and what their roles were at that time,” said Santa Cruz police chief Bernie Escalante.Escalante said a full investigation is now underway to determine if his officers followed department policies and procedures. The chief says a glimpse of body cam footage does not reveal any knees to Whitley's neck or head.Witnesses reported at least one officer using a baton.“I kind of lost track when I saw one bring a baton up. We all started to scream when we saw that. I don’t know if he was struck or he used the baton,” said Galvan.The police chief says Whitley was not physically injured.“Upon initial review, the individual was not struck in any way, the individual was not tased, we did not use a baton to strike the individual. The baton was used to pry his arms from underneath his body,” the chief said.The police encounter was reported to leaders of the Santa Cruz chapter of the NAACP.“To be honest, I was very sad when I saw what I saw,” said Elaine Johnson, president of the chapter.Johnson said she’s been in contact with Chief Escalante and said he gave her assurances the incident will be investigated to the fullest.“We have to get to the bottom of this and also trust that if there is something that is showing in those cameras that needs to be changed in how the officers showed up and what they did that I trust that those changes are going to be implemented,” Johnson said.Whitley, who has since been released from jail, was charged with resisting arrest, providing false information to an officer and possession of marijuana.The chief says none of the officers involved in the arrest were put on administrative leave.
A video of Santa Cruz police trying to arrest a cyclist has gone viral. It is raising questions and concerns that officers used excessive force during the arrest.
“It looked like it was way too much force for anybody that happened to be riding a bike down the street,” said Phyllis Galvan who witnessed part of the encounter.
“And then when I came out I saw a pile of about eight police officers, I couldn't see who was under it at first and then I saw a young man and he was seated,” added Galvan.
The man in the video is Taran Whitley. Whitley is 29 and black.
At one point during the struggle, Whitley could be heard saying, “What the f---, I’m sitting here. Why are you hurting me like this? I’m literally sitting down.” One female officer could be heard saying, “Stop resisting us.”
“We were having flashbacks to the (George) Floyd incident because the kid was yelling for help saying that they were hurting him take their hands off of him, you know what did he do. Yeah, it didn't have to go that way,” said Galvan.
It all happened Wednesday morning near the corner of West Cliff Drive and Bay Street. That's where police say Whitley, who was riding an e-bike, flew through a stop sign and failed to yield to pedestrians.
When police tried to arrest him for providing false information, they say Whitley resisted; eight officers eventually showed up at the scene to take Whitley into custody.
“We'll look and see if there was a need for that many as well and what their roles were at that time,” said Santa Cruz police chief Bernie Escalante.
Escalante said a full investigation is now underway to determine if his officers followed department policies and procedures. The chief says a glimpse of body cam footage does not reveal any knees to Whitley's neck or head.
Witnesses reported at least one officer using a baton.
“I kind of lost track when I saw one bring a baton up. We all started to scream when we saw that. I don’t know if he was struck or he used the baton,” said Galvan.
The police chief says Whitley was not physically injured.
“Upon initial review, the individual was not struck in any way, the individual was not tased, we did not use a baton to strike the individual. The baton was used to pry his arms from underneath his body,” the chief said.
The police encounter was reported to leaders of the Santa Cruz chapter of the NAACP.
“To be honest, I was very sad when I saw what I saw,” said Elaine Johnson, president of the chapter.
Johnson said she’s been in contact with Chief Escalante and said he gave her assurances the incident will be investigated to the fullest.
“We have to get to the bottom of this and also trust that if there is something that is showing in those cameras that needs to be changed in how the officers showed up and what they did that I trust that those changes are going to be implemented,” Johnson said.
Whitley, who has since been released from jail, was charged with resisting arrest, providing false information to an officer and possession of marijuana.
The chief says none of the officers involved in the arrest were put on administrative leave.
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