A 19-year-old was taken into custody Thursday, after a police pursuit ended with a crash in South Bend, but a social media video raised concerns about officers’ use of force.
Police say they tried to pull over a vehicle that had fled a traffic stop the night before. After a brief pursuit, the driver apparently lost control and hit a parked vehicle near LaSalle and Sycamore.
Officers say the driver, Luis Hernandez-Lopez, resisted officers’ attempts to physically detain him. A video shared on social media appeared to show three officers struggling with him, while a fourth arrives and grabs his legs.
Bodycam footage released by the police department Friday gives a closer view, as police pull Hernandez-Lopez from the car, order him to the ground and try to secure his hands. “Put your hands behind your back!” an officer yells.
At one point, an officer’s hand appears to strike Hernandez-Lopez on his back, while Hernandez-Lopez appears to try to get up. “Get on your stomach!" an officer commands.
Police eventually secure Hernandez-Lopez's hands, as he continues to yell.
Police say Hernandez-Lopez was taken to the hospital for evaluation, which is typical procedure when a vehicle crash is involved. He was then taken to the St. Joseph County Jail.
He’s been charged with misdemeanor and felony counts of resisting law enforcement. He also had an active warrant out of St. Joseph County.
The South Bend Police Department says its Use of Force Committee will evaluate the arrest to make sure officers followed the department’s policies. The department says it shared the bodycam footage to “to dispel some narratives” shared on social media.
