The two ex-San Rafael police officers accused of roughing up a day worker drinking on the curb have last summer pleaded not guilty. They appeared in court on Aug. 11 along with many police supporters critical of the charges. The alleged victim – Julio Jimenez Lopez, 37 – also had supporters in the courtroom. The case has divided the community.
From the female’s body cam the female officer was respectful speaking spanish in a calm voice. As seen in the video, the buzzed suspect was following orders albeit in a buzzed way and it wasn’t until the male cop barked the order to “SIT THE F DOWN!” that things went south from there and the suspect took offense at that and while not making aggressive motions or reponding in aggressive tones was taken to the ground by the male officer where the female had no choice but to aid and help stop the struggle.
It is my belief that a little more patience on the male officer’s part and possibly not being protective of his smaller female partner on scene and this could have ended like most public drinking encounters.
Who knows, maybe the male just came from another drinking call where the suspects were combative and it carried over into this one.