via Wikimedia
When a callous officer acts without compassion, no one is safe.
And a Black teen in Arizona - a quadruple amputee abandoned by his parents and left a ward of the state - recently experienced the disgusting and purely unnecessary wrath of a cop named Manuel Van Santen.
Deputy Van Santen was caught on video pinning the disabled kid to the ground, holding him in a headlock, and verbally abusing him. He had plenty of options, but he chose violence - excessive violence, at that - instead of trying to actually deescalate the situation.
Now, his twisted actions are being exposed across the nation.
He’s an 11-year veteran, which makes us wonder what other heinous acts he’s committed during his time on the force. Is this the first time he’s harmed a child or does the Pima County Sheriff's Department usually let this blatant abuse of power fly if it’s not caught on camera?
While the Sheriff's Department has put Deputy Van Santen on administrative leave and “authorized a criminal investigation into the conduct” displayed in the disturbing footage, we can’t help but ask… Will Van Santen actually be held accountable?
That’s where we can take action.
We all know how these investigations of police harassment often turn out. Let’s make sure this doesn’t end up being another slap on the wrist. Sign this petition to demand Pima County Sheriff's Department does the right thing and fire Deputy Van Santen immediately.