Mentally Disabled 28-year-old Man Beaten With Batons And Tased By Salinas Police

Male suspect suffering from mental disability who was beaten with batons and tased by Salinas police on Friday is now facing multiple felony charges.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

June 8, 2015

Salinas, California - On Sunday, the Salinas Police Department is investigating whether five police officers used excessive force to subdue José Velasco, 28, on Friday around 7:14 p.m. when police responded to a mother and son altercation on N. Main Street near Bernal Drive in heavy traffic. When several police officers arrived at the scene, they saw Velasco pushed his mother into the street pavement. When they approached Velasco to take him off his mother and to detain him, he began to struggle with the two officers. Velasco managed to grab a taser from one of the officers and the other officer began to strike Velasco with a police baton. One officer also managed to use a taser on Velasco twice, but had no effect, according to the Salinas Police Department.

As other officers arrived at the scene they too began to use batons to beat or as the Salinas police spokesman says was to subdue the suspect or treat. The beating incident by police was video recorded by a driver parked along the opposite traffic lane.

Velasco's sister, Antionette Ramirez claims he suffers from a mental illness and that he didn't intent to hurt his mother when he pushed her in the street.

Police say, Velasco after taken into custody tried to bite an officer's leg while being transported in an ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. He was treated and released on Saturday to police custody.

Salinas police spokesman, Spencer Critchley told local media sources that Velasco was seen running into traffic, screaming, shoved a woman (his mother) into the pavement and jumped into cars in a busy street. Velasco is facing felony charges for assault, using a deadly weapon, threatening an officer, resisting and parole violation. He is being held without bond.

Police suspect that Velasco was high on methamphetamine, but are waiting for toxicology test results. A family member told police that Velasco could be in the influence of methamphetamine, according to Sheldon Bryan, Salinas Police Commander.

Jose Velasco who suffers from a mental illness beaten with batons and tased by Salinas police https://youtu.be/bYlcAkv5Sx8