This article seems to contradict itself at some points but I just wanted this to be available to the public and see what you think.
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San Miguel De Allende, Guanajuato— Young people complained to ministerial authorities about municipal police for their abuse of authority, because they argue that last Thursday afternoon municipal police arrested them without providing any explanation, and that they caused them physical harm while they were being arrested and also while sending them to jail cells.
The offended seek justice by legal means, and in addition to a complaint filed before the Attorney General and also to the Human Rights Commission, because they ensure that their individual rights were violated. They ask that the authorities that caused them harm be removed. It is worth mentioning that there are two demands that the municipal police face, as each youth made their accusation individually.
Version of the Youth
The youth narrated that after 14:00 last March 14, they were circulating close to the vicinity of the convenience store “Bodega Aurrerá” when a patrol car with two policemen approached the car and they thought that the officials needed to pass them so they headed towards a store parking lot, but after this, the policemen blocked their way and prevented the youth from advancing. The policemen then got out of their vehicle and asked the youth to step out of the car.
The brothers refused to get out of the car and locked the car doors and with the window down, asked the officers what was going on or what the reason was for their actions. But before this, the police were only trying to get them to step out and they even put their hand through the window and opened the door. The youth point out that during all this, one of the officers drew his gun out and pointed it to one of the brothers in order to intimidate him to get out of the vehicle. This action caused them to fear for their lives and made the younger brother to begin recording with his cell phone what was going on. The brother that was in the driver’s seat said that while a policeman grabbed him by the neck; the other was squeezing his genitals in order for him to give way and cede.
They also mentioned that at the end of their arrest, 5 patrol cars were present and some motorcyclists, all belonging to the Municipal Public Security. During the event there were also traffic officers who gave them a breathalyzer test that came up negative, but that still didn’t allow their father to stay with the car. It is still at the disposal of the authorities, because so far the owners have failed to recover the car.
They added that although there were initially only two policemen, at the end there were 5 patrol cars. The whole discrepancy between the brothers and the municipal police lasted around 15 minutes. The policemen eventually brought the brothers out by force and even when the brothers were on the ground, they were continued to be beaten. Once they got to their jail cells, the revision also violated their individual rights as they remained completely naked for several minutes where people were able to see them.
Finally, the sanmiguelenses (people from San Miguel De Allende) said that it was the first time that they were victims of arbitrariness of this magnitude by members of the Public Security. They will seek legal consequences for the four police officers who abused their authority.
The Videos
Oswaldo and Alan Zúñiga are the men who filed the complaint against the agency #2 of the Public Ministry. They were also the ones who narrated the facts to this media (El Sol Del Bajio), presented the videos where you can see part of how the officials acted when trying to bring the brothers out of the vehicle by force.
In the videos, it shows the constant indication of the police to the brothers to step out of the vehicle while they asked what the reason for them to step out was. You can also see the faces of the policemen and also their patrol vehicle numbers. One of the officers threatens the younger brother because he was recording them; also you can observe how an officer acts with his gun out in his right hand but not pointing it at anyone. You can also see how they struggle with the driver of the vehicle, by getting him by the neck to try to get him out of the vehicle while saying “you can either get out the easy way or the hard way”, but despite this the brothers are still inside the car when another police officer shoots tear gas inside the vehicle; but the video does not show when they get arrested. It is worth mentioning that the brothers say that they are recording the events and indicate to the policemen that the way they are acting is out of authority.
Public Safety Director
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| Gabriel Arturo Yáñez Saldaña |
In this regard, the minister of the Municipal Police, Gabriel Arturo Yáñez Saldaña, said that so far they have not formally addressed any reports on this incident, but for the complaint, they will provide any information necessary to the proper authorities to fully investigate the facts. He also mentioned, after questioning him if it was legal for the police officers to act the way they acted in the video, Yáñez Saldaña mentioned that the circumstances that led to this act are not known in its entirety, plus to this moment he is unsure about the contents of the video.
He added that broadly speaking, what he knows of the situation according to the police report is that shortly before two o’clock in the afternoon of last Thursday, there was a vehicle with tinted windows and Querétaro license plates that was carrying people who were apparently drinking alcoholic beverages. The policemen then told them to stop the car and the motorists ignored the indication, headed towards a parking lot of a store, and there once again told them to stop the vehicle and get out. They refused to step out of the vehicle and even insulted the policemen. After a series of arguments and conflicts, this was the outcome.
He also mentions that although the brothers did not have a level of alcohol intoxication, their breath smelled of alcohol. The car that was delivered was made available to the judge. Finally, he mentioned that the incident required further investigation to determine the facts.
Video of the altercation in Spanish
Source: El Sol Del Bajio By: Ana Barrón