By Norman Miller, Daily News
Staff
Police launched an
investigation Tuesday into allegations an officer brutalized a handcuffed man
high on drugs early Monday morning by slamming the man’s head face down into
the pavement, then quickly confiscated the cellphone of a witness who was
trying to shoot video of the arrest, authorities said.
The MetroWest Daily News
reported that Police Chief Kenneth Ferguson said a formal investigation has
begun into the allegations made by Harmony Lane resident Richard Porter, who
said an unknown officer severely beat Jonel Reyes, 20, of Framingham, on Monday
at 1:30 a.m.
"We take these allegations
very seriously," said Ferguson. "We have an allegation of police
misconduct and we are investigating this."
Porter said he witnessed the
beating and went inside to get his cellphone.
He had started recording the
aftermath, when an officer grabbed him and "slammed" him into a
cruiser. The officer Porter said was slamming Reyes’ head into the ground told
the other officer to take his phone.
"They gave me a choice.
They said we’ll either put you under arrest and we’ll get a warrant for the
phone or you can just give us the phone," said Porter. "After the fact,
after they confiscated the phone, a sergeant came over and he’s swearing at me.
He got in my face and said, ‘Instead of videotaping us, why didn’t you go over
there and help him.’ "
The incident began on Monday,
when police went to Harmony Lane for a report of a man having a bad reaction to
drugs, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Cronin said. Officers encountered Reyes,
who was naked and exhibiting behavior like someone who had taken bath salts, a
drug that can cause hallucinations and violent outbursts.
Cronin said officers began
struggling with Reyes, who fought them as they tried to take him into
protective custody. During the struggle, officers sprayed him twice with pepper
spray and fought with him to get him handcuffed. Reyes was taken to the MetroWest
Medical Center in Framingham to be treated, Cronin said.
Reyes was not arrested at the
time, but police said they will charge him with assault and battery on a police
officer, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. Reyes had been arrested
Sunday in Framingham on a Westborough District Court warrant that charged him
with driving without a license.
But Porter said the incident
was a lot more than what police had initially said.
He said he was in his home when
he heard an officer yell "get on the ground, get on the ground," so
he went outside to see what happened.
Porter saw Reyes, whom he had
seen around the neighborhood several times.
Porter said at one point, Reyes
was on the ground, handcuffed and a female officer was sitting on his leg while
another officer was kneeling on Reyes’ shoulders and neck.
"The cop on the shoulders
and neck grabbed his head and banged his (Reyes') face into the pavement,"
said Porter. "I screamed over to the cop, ‘You don’t have to bang his
head. You already have him subdued, leave him alone.’ He kept doing it.
Granted, he (Reyes) was on acid, but to push his face into the ground and try
to knock him out was way overboard."
Porter said he went inside to
get his phone and one officer came and took it away.
Reyes remained hospitalized at
MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham as of Monday. A hospital spokeswoman
said he was in stable condition.
Ferguson said Porter came to
the Framingham Police Department on Tuesday to be interviewed as part of the
investigation. He said Porter met with a sergeant, who is a supervisor. The
chief said that is the first step in a police misconduct allegation
investigation. The investigation could later be referred to a superior officer.
Porter said police returned his
cellphone on Tuesday. He said there was no video on it, but he said he couldn’t
be sure he had recorded anything Monday. He said he was happy police are taking
the allegations seriously.
"The interview went really
well," said Porter. "I felt they already knew the officers. I felt like
I got a fair shake and I feel like they’re taking it seriously."
