Barstow police officer seen on video beating unarmed Black man with baton during arrest
BARSTOW, Calif. - Video captured a Barstow Police officer beating an unarmed Black man with a baton during a recent arrest.
According to Barstow PD, on Friday around 4 p.m, an officer observed Gary Christian, a 43-year-old Barstow resident in the 1200 block of East Main Street. The officer confirmed through police dispatch that Christian was wanted for an outstanding felony, no bail probation violation warrant. The officer made contact with Christian and attempted to place him under arrest.
"Christian refused to comply with the officer’s orders and physically assaulted the officer; The officer immediately deployed his taser which was ineffective. Christian then physically assaulted the officer a second time causing the officer to deploy his baton, the officer struck Christian with his baton while attempting to arrest him. Additional officers arrived at the scene and were able to take Christian into custody without further incident," Barstow PD wrote in a statement.
Christian was transported to the Barstow Community Hospital where he was treated for minor contusions and abrasions to his right leg, and was booked at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department High Desert Detention Center for resisting arrest and for the outstanding felony warrant for probation violation.
"The Barstow Police Department is aware that a resident captured a portion of this incident on video, The department has a copy of that video and would like the community to know that a comprehensive administrative investigation will be conducted into this incident to determine if the force used by the officer was within Barstow Police Department policy and current law," the statement continued.
Anyone with information regarding this incident was asked to contact Sergeant Jeremy Bledsoe at 760-255-5160 or at bledsoe@barstowca.org. Those wishing to remain anonymous may also provide information by calling the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-79-CRIME (27469) or by going to www.wetip.com.