San Bernardino officers accused of excessive force after violent arrest caught on camera
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Several San Bernardino Police officers are facing accusations of excessive force and police brutality after a violent arrest was caught on camera inside a grocery store this week. Now, the man's family members now say they feel for his safety as he remains in custody.
It happened at the Food 4 Less store in San Bernardino on Thursday. Four police officers piled onto 36-year-old Travon Attison inside the store to arrest him. Family members say it all started when Attison and his wife went into the store, and one of the employees said "Whassup, cuz," to Addison. He took offense and demanded the employee be taken off the floor, because he thought that the employee was stereotyping him as a gang member, the family told FOX 11.
Attison's wife said he was upset and got loud. After Attison refused a security guard's requests to calm down, the security guard called the police.
In the cell phone video, two officers are seen taking Attison to the ground, then two more jump in to help subdue him. One officer is seen in the video throwing multiple punches at Attison while he was being subdued by the three other officers.
A family member told FOX 11 that there was "no reason for Attison's arrest, let alone the way in which it happened. The family says they want the officer seen throwing punches removed from patrol duty "because he has a temper and anger… you're supposed to come and deescalate the situation."
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In a statement to FOX 11, the San Bernardino Police Department did not address the officers' actions in the video, but said that Attison was arrested and charged with felony assault and resisting an officer, adding that he was on parole and had a lengthy criminal history.
Attison's family believes that, despite that, there was no reason for the violent nature of his arrest.
"We came for hot links and hot dogs," said one relative, "and we got police brutality."