A Compton man who was shown on video being beaten by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, broke his silence Wednesday and demanded justice.
“They treated me like I was some type of animal, like I wasn’t a human being,” Dalvin Price told reporters outside Compton City Hall.
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Price, 24, held a news conference and was joined by his grandmother; civil rights attorney Jamon Hicks; Compton Mayor Aja Brown; Compton City Attorney Damon Brown; the woman who recorded the video of his arrest; and members of the community.
“I was kicked. My head was banged on the floor, non-stop, repeatedly, after I told them that I wasn’t resisting. My hands were behind my back and they steadily told me to get on the ground, which I was already on the ground,” Price stated.
The video, recorded on May 31, shows Price lying face-down on the pavement as he is beaten and kicked by three deputies. The footage was posted on social media and has been viewed millions of times.
“I’m on the ground! I’m on the ground!” he yells in the video.
https://twitter.com/Reallilmartin/status/1267405892963545095?s=20
The incident happened after a protest sparked by the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The sheriff’s department said Price was a looting suspect, which he denies. He was arrested on suspicion of assault on a peace officer. As of publication time, no charges had been filed against him.
Asia Hall was nearby on the night of the incident and recorded the video. She said she is now being harassed and followed by members of the sheriff’s department.
“Since I pressed that record button, my life has been turned upside down,” Hall said at the news conference. After the gathering, she said in a one-on-one interview that she has seen squad cars parked outside her home and fears for her life.
Price said he suffered broken ribs during his arrest. He filed a written complaint with the sheriff’s department Wednesday alleging police brutality.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has said the incident will be “thoroughly investigated,” adding in a statement, “we will also examine the tactics, policies & procedures.”
I am aware of 2 videos circulating on social media involving my deputies. As with all use of force incidents, these cases will be thoroughly investigated, and we will also examine the tactics, policies & procedures. pic.twitter.com/7lvw6jwnwH
— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) June 3, 2020
Compton Mayor Aja Brown said she was deeply disturbed by the video of Price’s arrest.
“We are here to demand consequences for any members of law enforcement that violate the rights of human beings. Black men are people too. Brown men are people too,” she told reporters.
Mayor Brown said Compton pays the sheriff’s department $22 million a year to police the city. She is demanding deputies show her residents the same level of respect that they do those in wealthier towns they patrol.
“We demand the same treatment that deputies provide to the residents of Malibu, Palos Verdes and other communities,” she said.
Last week Compton officials sent a letter to Sheriff Villanueva calling for reforms and the immediate firing of the deputies involved in Price’s arrest. Brown said Wednesday they haven’t heard a peep from the sheriff.
