The Pima County sheriff said he has authorized a criminal investigation into one of his deputies. The officer was shown on video pinning a teenager who was also a quadruple amputee.
In a statement Monday, Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier called the deputy’s conduct “shocking, disturbing, and personally saddening to watch,” although Napier also said the short video might not represent the complete picture of the incident.
Late last week Napier put Deputy Manuel Van Santen on administrative leave and ordered a criminal investigation of the incident. The results of the inquiry will then go to the Pima County Attorney’s Office to determine if there will be any charges.
Napier’s statement said “we do not believe what we observed is in any way representative of the manner our deputies serve the community.”
The Sheriff’s Department declined to comment beyond what was written in the statement.
Disorderly conduct charges against the boy were dropped.
