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Police Brutality
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — Two Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies are under fire, accused of using excessive force—and all of it was caught on camera.
BSO is conducting an internal affairs investigation to find out if the two officers involved were justified in using force and are also questioning why Sheriff Scott Israel wasn’t notified until three months after the incident.
On February 18th, BSO says two of their deputies responded to a convenience store in Deerfield Beach for a report of a theft. 50-year-old David Gonzalez was their suspect.
The store manager, Mohamad Kabir, said a drunk and mumbling Gonzalez stole candy then tried to get beer, offering his watch as a trade.
“He was drunk,” said Kabir. “He said, take my watch give me the 12-pack beer.”
Kabir called police and asked them to give Gonzalez a trespass warning.
Surveillance cameras were rolling when deputies Justin Lambert and Mike Manresa arrived.
According to the deputies reports, Gonzalez was under the influence of alcohol and “acting very belligerent” towards them.
At one point, according to the complaint affidavit, Gonzalez raised his hand and lunged at the deputy while screaming profanities before resisting arrest.
Gonzalez was forced to the ground, according to the report, in order to secure handcuffs.
According to an arrest affidavit, Gonzalez was also combative with fire rescue and medical staff and had to be sedated because of his “belligerent and violent” actions.
One witness who wanted to remain anonymous, tells a different story.
“He didn’t fight back he didn’t resist or anything he was drunk almost unable to stand up on his own so they beat him up pretty bad for no reason,” said the witness.
Gonzalez was treated at the hospital for facial fractures and then taken to jail, charged with two counts of resisting arrest.