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New Haven police veteran could be fired for alleged excessive force

Body camera footage showed that, after the suspect spit in the officer's face, the officer punched Rivera in the face.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The raw body camera video is at the bottom of this article. Warning: video contains profanity and blood.

A New Haven police officer, who earlier this year deescalated a situation with a man wielding a knife and saved another last weekend from his burning car, is now under excessive heat himself. And the Police Chief wants him fired.

Last Christmas morning, in the Fair Haven section of New Haven, police encountered 35-year-old Luis Rivera, allegedly intoxicated and not wanting to listen to police when they said they’d have to tow an incapacitated Van he had been driving.

“During the course of the investigation a struggle ensued with this individual as they attempted to put him in handcuffs and place him under arrest,” said Chief Otoniel Reyes.

According to a New Haven Police Internal Affairs report, Santiago struggled with Rivera as he was taken to the ground.

“Officer Santiago engaged in behavior what an investigation has determined in our evaluation has determined constitutes excessive force,” said Reyes.

Body camera footage showed that, after Rivera spit in Santiago’s face, the officer punched Rivera in the face and, with Rivera on the ground, and handcuffed, Santiago also kicked the man in the groin. He could also be seen yanking on the man’s braided hair.

“I have placed Officer Santiago onto administrative leave, paid administrative leave, and he is going to be go before the Board of Commissioners, next Tuesday, where I will recommend that the commissioners terminate Officer Santiago for his actions,” Reyes said.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) is a co-sponsor of the Justice in Policing Act, which is all about accountability.

“Better training and recruiting, but also body cameras much more widely used because they show what actually happened,” said Blumenthal.

The bill would include federal funding for more departments to start employing body cameras.

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The decision as to whether to arrest Santiago is in the hands of the State's Attorney's Office, but, Mayor Justin Elicker (D-New Haven)  says he believes Chief Reyes' decision to recommend the officer's termination to the Police Commission is the right course of action.

WARNING: The raw body camera video below contains graphic profanity and blood.

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