Police misconduct investigated
after video surfaces
after video surfaces
REDDING, Calif. -
A video of a Redding police
officer taking offense to being filmed by a citizen has racked up more than
50,000 views on YouTube since being posted last Sunday and has many calling his
behavior “misconduct,” prompting an internal affairs investigation into the
incident.
officer taking offense to being filmed by a citizen has racked up more than
50,000 views on YouTube since being posted last Sunday and has many calling his
behavior “misconduct,” prompting an internal affairs investigation into the
incident.
The video shot on Saturday, June 21, shows Redding police officer
Brandon Largent speaking with a man involved in an altercation at the
Dollar Tree Store.
Dollar Tree Store.
25-year-old Nick Hyatt says officer Largent raised his voice with the man, and that’s when he pulled out his phone to capture some video.
“The officer started yelling, ‘You disrespected me! Get on the ground!’ And I was like, ‘Cool, some drama for YouTube.’ And I got my phone out and started recording him,” Hyatt said.
Largent soon notices he’s being videotaped by Hyatt, and apparently takes umbrage, turning his attention to Hyatt.
“You, get in your car and leave now!,” Largent yells in the video. “You're interrupting my investigation! Right now!”
Hyatt replies to the commands, “I'm more than 25 feet away, I have a right to record you in your line of service!”
Largent asks for an officer to watch the man he has detained and starts walking toward Hyatt.
“Put your phone down on the hood of the car right now!” Largent says. Then raising his voice even more as Hyatt appears to be complying, “Down on the hood of the car!”
With Hyatt’s camera turned to the sky, the ensuing events can only be heard. Largent takes Hyatt’s information and relays it into SHASCOM dispatch. Moments later it cuts out.
“If you take the video-- just on the face (of the) video--it's obviously very disappointing,” Redding police chief Robert Paoletti said Monday afternoon. “What's on the video may not be
the totality of the circumstance itself. So I want to wait until the investigation
is done and see what occurred start to finish.”
is done and see what occurred start to finish.”
Paoletti says an internal affairs process is underway. He also says the department has contacted Hyatt asking him if he wants to file a complaint, which he refused.
He also says officers are trained and told about a citizen journalist’s constitutional right to film an on-duty officer.
“We're going to review our policies, review our practices and make sure that all of that is covered and that the officers have that knowledge base,” Paoletti said, “because obviously
it might have been a little lacking in this case.”
it might have been a little lacking in this case.”
As far as all the trouble he’s caused, Hyatt says if given a second chance he’d rethink the whole incident, but also hopes he may have done some good for the community.
“You know, if somebody else doesn't have to experience it, it's worth it,” he says. “I kind of just want it all to be over with. We all make mistakes. I make mistakes at work, he makes
mistakes, so that's kind of where I'm at today with it.”
Paoletti says results of the internal investigation will likely never be revealed to the public. Such matters are strictly protected by the Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights.
Name Released in Officer-Involved Shooting
By Robyn Ridpath, Assignment Editor
POSTED: 4:50 PM Apr 16 2013
REDDING, Calif. -
The Redding Police Department released the officer's name who was involved in a shooting on Apr. 11 on Mistletoe Lane.
Officer Brandon Largent has been employed by the Redding Police Department since Sept. 2012 and prior to that he served four years in the United States Marine Corps and five years with the Pasadena Police Department.
Police said around 2 a.m. on Apr. 11, Largent approached two people riding bicycles in the 800-block of Mistletoe Lane after there were reports of shots fired in the area.
When the officer arrived, he stopped Robert Barron, 35, and Alexander Restuchi, 26, who both had warrants out for their arrest. When Officer Largent tried to take them into custody, Barron became violent and attacked the officer according to police.
A struggle between Barron and the officer forced the officer to discharge his firearm striking Barron in the chest.
Police said after Barron was shot he continued to struggle with the officer and fled on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, Barron was taken into custody by the officer.
Barron was transported to a local hospital with a serious gunshot wound to his chest. Restuchi was cooperative with police and was taken in for questioning.
Deputies said during the struggle the officer received injuries and was transported to the hospital were he was treated and later released.
The Redding Police Department requested the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office take over the investigation per interagency protocol. The investigation is ongoing.
BRANDON LARGENT
POLICE OFFICER
| Regular pay: | $53,196.00 |
|---|---|
| Overtime pay: | $1,716.82 |
| Other pay: | $2,219.85 |
| Total pay: | $57,132.67 |
| Total benefits: | $38,682.76 |
| Total pay & benefits: | $95,815.43 |