PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into one of its officers after learning of a YouTube video that shows the on-duty officer slamming an unarmed 15-year-old girl into a wall and her slumping to the ground, a department spokesman said Thursday.
Patrick Larrison, a six-and-a-half-year veteran, was immediately placed on paid leave after another police employee found the video online and notified a supervisor, Sgt. Trent Crump said. The incident was videotaped Jan. 25 and the employee discovered it Tuesday.
"At face value, the video is concerning to us," Crump said.
Larrison's phone number was unlisted, and it's unclear whether he has a lawyer.
The three-minute video, which YouTube removed mid-Thursday, was shot by a citizen from across the street. It begins by showing the teen and her mother struggling with each other on the ground. The teen's mother is apparently trying to hold her down, but the girl eventually breaks free after punching the older woman.
At about the same time, a police vehicle pulls up and two officers get out. The video follows one of the officers as he approaches the teen from behind. She glances back at him, and that's when he runs up and slams her into the wall.
The girl slumps, and the officer puts handcuffs on her while she's on the ground. He then helps get her to her feet and walks her to the patrol car.
Many who watched the video posted comments on YouTube. Some described the incident as "brutal" and said the officer was out of line, while others defended the man, saying he acted appropriately given the situation and had to keep the girl from trying to run.
Crump said the girl's school had called her mother and police because she was drunk and passing alcohol to other students.
He said the girl was taken to the school's office and that she pushed a male teacher and stormed out, causing her mother to follow her and try to hold her down until police arrived.
The girl, who Crump said was uninjured, was charged in juvenile court with one count each of aggravated assault for pushing the teacher, domestic violence assault for punching her mother and threatening and intimidation for later telling the officers that she would kill them and their families.
If investigators find that the officer violated policy or broke the law, he could face a reprimand that varies from counseling to termination, Crump said.
Larrison has no previous complaints of excessive force.
Crump said he was surprised the department didn't learn of the video sooner and still has been unable to speak with the person who filmed it.
"Obviously we don't like that type of video out there," he said. "We don't want that to be our image within the community. ... We don't want people to see it and believe that is our normal course of business."
The department has drawn public scrutiny over a couple other incidents of alleged excessive use of force.
In March last year, Phoenix Councilman Michael Johnson was handcuffed and pushed to the ground during a pre-dawn fire in his south Phoenix neighborhood, prompting him to accuse the officer of assaulting him and violating his civil rights. The officer was not charged following an investigation by federal authorities.
In October, Phoenix officer Richard Chrisman was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of an unarmed man and his dog. He was fired in March. Chrisman has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has said Chrisman's actions were "more than justified."
sev5150 posted at 2:50 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
what a scum bag! I bet he was picked on as a kid and girls never liked him, so he took all his anger out on her when she wouldnt listen to him.. Im sure hes a wife beater too..
Juggernaut500 posted at 3:01 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
The girl was at one of these 'Charter Schools' which the state reserves for dirtbag kids who have been kicked out of a normal school. She was drunk and already being a problem. She got what she deserved...
I'm sure the family will sue and say she is an angel who never causes trouble.
RandMan posted at 3:35 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
Let's try to remember, the police exist to serv the public. Punishment is the realm of the courts. No officer unless their life is in danger has the right to physically abuse ANYONE. We now live in a police state. The only way to reign in the abuse of authority is to publically record what is happening. The police will tell you it's illeagle and try to force you to stop recording. I've seen Camcorders and phones destroyed and confiscated by cops that realized they were just caught doing a no-no. If an officer is discharging his duty in the public arena, his or her actions are a matter of public record. Period! - Juggernaut, Not sure what neighborhood you live in, but spend some time in S. Phoenix, Glendale or Peoria and see how the storm troopers treat people. Could be your Mom, Dad, Sis, Bro, or kids.
Juggernaut500 posted at 4:15 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
I have been to south Phoenix and have no desire to go back to that dump. It's infested with illegals and rampant crime throughout. But, I don't think the police would have to deal with any of my family members because they aren't criminals. And if the police talked to them they would be respectful and honest.
The cops there should use more force to take control of that area and get Border Patrol there in force to get rid of the illegals.
RandMan posted at 5:11 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
Ahhhh, I see. You sound like a cop yourself. What about the people that aren't criminals or illegals, that have to live there because that's the best they can do?? Do those honest people deserve to be treated like criminals because of thier location? I have family that are cops, I've been to the bar-b-q's and hear all about the grand time they have hiding behind their badges. Once upon a time you raised your kids to find a cop if something was wrong. Now you must raise them to not trust cops and request a lawyer if one so much as says hi. A police officer used to be a noble profession. It's a shame the good cops (far and few between) are stigmatized by the majority of bad cops.
Juggernaut500 posted at 6:24 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
The people who aren't criminals would benefit from the cops/BP cleaning up the neighborhood. Yes, there are dirtbag cops but most are good honest people that are brought down by the spoiled few.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:50 pm on Thu, May 5, 2011.
If she "punched" her mother....don't blame the cop for knocking her down. She was a "larger sized" girl and who knows what physical harm she could have done to the Phoenix cop.
This cop should be promoted. He "enforced" the Law....more than most of what our Local..."keystone krispy kreme cops" would have done. They would have been afraid to impinge on her "civil rights"..maybe she was Eskimo or Hispanic or something.
sev5150 posted at 12:27 pm on Fri, May 6, 2011.
Its funny how people say the cop was doing the right thing and all this other nonsense.. but when it happens to you, your gonna be crying like a little girl trying to sue everyone.. And just like the typical people that you guys are you will say "well i keep to myself, I dont do anything bad" Lets wait until you get pulled over for a traffic violation and the cop happens to have a wild hair up his @ss.. He's gonna beat your @ss and treat u like the scum bags that THEY are.. just give it some time and you'll be on the other side