Kyle Maurice Vinson was hit by an Aurora police officer 13 times with a pistol and strangled during the arrest, body camera footage shows.
“What you’re going to see is going to infuriate you,” Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, where she spoke about the arrest of Officer John Haubert.
Age
He is 29 years old.
Detail of the incident
An Aurora police officer struck an unarmed man with a pistol 13 times, strangled him and threatened to kill him while responding to a search call in Aurora last week. Body camera images released Tuesday show.
Days after the violent arrest, the Aurora Police Department announced that the officer, John Haubert, faces charges of attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree and threats, which are felonies, as well as charges of official oppression and charges. first grade. official misconduct, which are misdemeanors.
An arrest warrant was issued for Haubert and he was taken into custody.
Video
In the body camera footage, Haubert walks up to Kyle Maurice Vinson, sitting near a tree, and orders him to roll over on his stomach. Haubert, who has his gun drawn, places his hand around Vinson’s neck, pushing his head towards the ground and pointing the gun at Vinson’s head.
Haubert then begins hitting Vinson over the head with the pistol while rolling onto his back, ordering him to “stop fighting.”
Vinson can be heard crying – “you’re killing me,” he said – and you see blood on his hands and neck. Haubert then grabs Vinson by the neck as he lies on the ground and strangles him until he has trouble speaking.
Vinson is not seen threatening the officers.
“If you move, I’ll shoot you,” Haubert is heard saying to Vinson, 29.
Investigation
Another officer who responded, Francine Martinez, faces two misdemeanor charges, including failure to report the use of force and failure to intervene, the department said.
The arrests come nearly a year after the Colorado Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into the “patterns and practices” of the Aurora Police Department.
The investigation came in the wake of national outrage over the death of Elijah McClain in August 2019 after an encounter with Aurora police officers and paramedics, as well as criticism of the agency’s other dealings with the public.
The attorney general’s office is also reviewing McClain’s death to determine whether charges should be brought against the officers and paramedics who detained him. McClain, 23, was unarmed and had not committed a crime.