New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Police investigating officer’s alleged use of force in arrest
NEW HAVEN — The Police Department has opened an internal investigation into whether an officer’s use of force was “appropriate” after he allegedly punched a man inside Walmart during an arrest this week, according to a police spokesman and a report.
The officer involved was identified in a police report as Rafael Ramirez. The Police Department released the report, along with Ramirez’s body camera footage of the arrest.
The body camera video was released after after a brief clip of the incident captured by an observer inside the Foxon Boulevard
Walmart on Tuesday was posted to social media, police said in a statement.
In the report, Ramirez wrote that he punched the man, identified as 37-year-old Jose Dejesus, in the face after Dejesus allegedly “got in a fighting stance,” verbally threatened him, and raised his fists.
The incident began just before 2 p.m. at the Walmart on Foxon Boulevard, where Ramirez had been assigned as an extra duty officer, according to the police report. While responding to a separate shoplifting incident, Ramirez said he could hear Dejesus allegedly cursing at a shoplifting guard, he wrote in the report.
In the report Ramirez said he told Dejesus to leave the store after Dejesus also was told to do so by two store associates. Dejesus allegedly refused, saying he was waiting for a family member, Ramirez wrote in the report.
In the report, Ramirez wrote Dejesus allegedly “got in a fighting stance, very close to me and stated, (I’m) going to (expletive) your face up, in (Spanish) and began raising his arms with clenched fist.”
“I immediately struck him in the face with a closed fist on the left side of his face,” Ramirez wrote in the report. “I immediately followed him to the ground and was able to secure him in my department issue handcuffs.”
Ramirez wrote that he turned Dejesus on his side after noting he “had a hard time breathing,” the report says. An ambulance was called to check Dejesus and the emergency medical personnel reported that Dejesus “appeared to be OK and was refusing medical attention.” Ramirez wrote in the report.
Police charged Dejesus with first-degree trespassing, disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer— all misdemeanor offenses. It was not immediately known whether Dejesus is being represented by an attorney in the case.
The report notes a use of force form will be completed for the incident. The report notes a DVD of Walmart surveillance footage was collected as evidence. Police have not released that footage.