Video of Mesa police arrest goes viral
Jun 3, 2013, 3:07 PM | Updated: 4:33 pm
PHOENIX — Video of an arrest conducted over the weekend by Mesa police is going viral.
The video, posted to YouTube by Dan Brooksby, shows a Mesa police officer attempting to arrest a man and then a violent fight. A loud crash off-camera is a second officer getting into a car crash while responding to the scene.
Mesa Police Sgt. Tony Landato said officers acted within protocol during a dangerous situation at the Circle K at the corner of McKellips and Center in Mesa.
“I have a Taser on the ground, I have my radio on the ground, I got a gun on the ground who this guy has already tried to go towards; he stripped it out of the other officer’s waistband,” he said.
Had the suspect complied with officers, he likely would have just received a ticket, Landato said. The suspect now faces felony charges.
Landato also said the department has no issue with people filming officers, so long as they do not interfere with the investigation and stay out of harm’s way.
KTAR’s Martha Maurer contributed to this report.
