Video Shows San Antonio Cop Beating a Handcuffed Pregnant Woman [UPDATED]

San Antonio cops attempting to arrest a 22-year-old pregnant woman on a prostitution warrant claim they had to use force because she fought back. But a cell phone video obtained by FOX News in San Antonio shows two officers penning down a screaming woman in handcuffs while a third officer slugs her repeatedly. 

FOX interviewed San Antonio Chief of Police William McManus about the arrest. McManus defended the officers and said the woman's size--she stands just over five feet tall, and weighs just over 120--doesn't make a difference. When FOX offered to show McManus the video that contradicts his claim that the officers used justifiable force, McManus said he didn't need to watch it because "what's on the video, my understanding is that's what the officer reported." 

Watch the video here (warning, the screaming is horrendous): 

Via Reddit

UPDATE: "Sources tell Fox San Antonio that Rios underwent a routine pregnancy test, and that she was never pregnant. Chief William McManus says he's seen the video of his officers hitting Rios, but he says his officers did everything by the book."

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

When FOX offered to show McManus the video that contradicts his claim that the officers used justifiable force, McManus said he didn't need to watch it because "what's on the video, my understanding is that's what the officer reported."

Ace investigative work.

[John]

Why should the Chief believe his lying eyes?

[Brutus]

Police reports are all equivalent to Holy Scripture.

[Loki]

"And lo the Chief of Police did then read the officer's report, and he said 'I needeth not to view the moving pictures of the incident, for I hath read the officer's sworn statement and seen that it Truth.' And the officer who madeth the report shall recieve unto him a paid vacation, a promotion in rank, and Medal for Valor in the line of duty."

- The book of Swine Fluffing, 3:17

[Anonymous Coward]

A man unwilling to see has no use for eyes.

[Brendan]

For those of you with kids, do this if the police ever claim your kid did something wrong.

Yes, officer I understand what you're saying. I'm conducting an investigation and have obtained a written statement from my child.
No, I do not need to see the video. Because what's on the video, my understanding is that's what my child reported. I can't comment any further at this time due to the ongoing investigation. The results of the investigation will be made public ONLY after that investigation is complete.

(2 days later)
My spouse and I have concluded the investigation and concluded that while mistakes were made, procedures were followed and there was no criminal intent. We will be scheduling some additional training to prevent this in the future. I'm sorry, I can't comment on any discipline as that's a family matter.

[Drake]

Not beating her would be discrimination.

[Mykeuva]

What the hell is wrong with these animals?

[Episiarch]

They're cops. That's what's wrong.

[sarcasmic]

The whole point of being a police officer is to kick ass. Doesn't matter if the ass belongs to a pregnant woman who is half your size. An opportunity to beat the shit out of someone is an opportunity to beat the shit out of someone.

[Karl Hungus]

An opportunity to beat the shit out of someone is an opportunity to beat the shit out of someone.

Exactly. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Kool]

Of course not! You punch it. Evidently repeatedly.

[niobiumstudio]

If any of them get put on desk duty or paid-leave it is simply because they didn't use the right type of force. They broke policy when they didn't taze the shit out of her or mace her (to prevent her from assaulting their fists with her face). Instead, they put themselves in danger by 'manually' kicking the shit out of her.

[Pi Guy]

"Instead, they put themselves in danger..."

And that's what makes them heroes. I mean, how many of you manly men out there have the stones to take on a handcuffed, face-down 120-lb woman with two of your budies?

I'm sure glad we have men like you guys on the job. I feel safer already!

[Brutus]

I'd like to see their department's recruitment video.

[Pi Guy]

This is their recruitment video.

[sarcasmic]

"Join the San Antonio Police Department and beat up hookers!
It's just like Grand Theft Auto only you're the good guy!
Someone doesn't do exactly what you say, punch them in the face!
If after you've got them cuffed and they still disobey you, punch them in the face!
Punch them in the face!
Yeah!"

[Brendan]

This is the toned down version of their recruitment video.

[?Ex Nihilo?]

What the hell is wrong with these animals?

To call them animals is an injustice to animals.

[Mo' $parky]

I'm sure the people of San Antonio all feel safer having these brave men keeping their street clear.

[Brett L]

The people of San Antonio should handcuff and beat them along with the Chief and see if they still feel like it was a justified use of force.

[sarcasmic]

She's damn lucky the cop didn't break his hand on the back of her head or she'd be facing assault charges as well.

[niobiumstudio]

I can't believe more people don't face charges for assaulting police officer's hands and feet with their faces... They are just so lucky the police and prosecutors can show THAT much restraint. I mean, only one guy in the last month was arrested for assaulting a police officer's hand with his face... These lucky civilians don't know how good they got it...

[Karl Hungus]

I've said this before with regard to similar stories, but it bears repeating: if the guy who filmed this had picked up a gun instead of a camera and shot both those officers, he'd be a hero.

[Romulus Augustus]

yes, but sadly a dead hero.

[Karl Hungus]

True, but a hero nonetheless. The only downside is that without his video, the cops who murdered him would be free to make up whatever story they please.

[Kool]

I think the word you're looking for is "martyr" because there's no way he's alive 24 hours after.

[Brett L]

But a dead one. The only way he could survive is immediately drive to a DPS station, have his lawyer and a TV crew meet him there, and turn himself in. Even then, he'd probably be killed "trying to escape" the next day.

[Rod Flash]

Maybe we can get Abby to clean up the video so we can see that the cop is actually just wiping sweat off her brow.

[sarcasmic]

lights the dunphy signal

[Kool]

Procedures
Training
"not in my agency"
Minimal reaction time

blah blah blah

[Karl Hungus]

You forgot "continuum of force" and "officer safety."

[niobiumstudio]

The required dog was not present to be shot so the officer's had to take out their rage-boner's on her fetus.

[Fatty Bolger]

The fetus was resisting.

[?Ex Nihilo?]

And "isolated incident."

[Corporate Drone]

and "process"... it's always about the process, fellas!

[Tonio]

Canard.

Meaningless, [bizarre], brackets around random [words].

ALL-CAPS SHOUTING.

[sarcasmic]

You're all a bunch of anti-cop bigots, feeding an unreasonable expectation of police brutality.
/dunphy

[Loki]

Don't forget "ignorant morons".

[Raston Bot]

I'm reading a separate story that said she was not pregnant based on a voluntary test taken after the arrest.

Legalize all vices to stop the abuse.

[R C Dean]

So, the Chief's line is that he doesn't actually look at primary evidence (the video), he just takes the accused's word for what the primary evidence is.

I wonder if they apply this investigative approach across the board, or only to fellow cops.

[Auric Demonocles]

"As the surveillance camera for the bank what all the judge was a-jawing about, could y'all tell us what you done seen the day of the crime?"

[Andrew S.]

Your honor, I move that I be disbarred for introducing this evidence against my own clients.

[Mainer2]

Who you gonna believe, the police report or your lying eyes ?

[Brandybuck]

Call me old fashioned, call me a sexist pig, but you just don't hit a woman. Not even a prostitute. And hitting a pregnant woman? You're not even human...

[sarcasmic]

I bet that guy's wife is a total klutz, slipping and falling at home all the time.
What else could explain all the bruises?

[Karl Hungus]

Exactly, and I don't know what this woman's (the arrestee's) big beef is. Some dark glasses and a layer of foundation thick enough to choke a donkey, why, she'll be right as rain.

[Broseph of Invention]

No kidding. It's an excuse to go shopping. She gets new makeup and shades and they get five seconds of solid footage for the San Antonio Police recruitment video they're throwing together. Win-win.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

You're old fashioned. If the situation were appropriate for hitting a man, it's appropriate for hitting a woman.

[Pi Guy]

It's not clear to me why they have to hit almost anybody that they do.

[mad libertarian guy]

Agreed, but your fact doesn't change change the broader fact noted above. If the situation calls for hitting a man, then it should also call for hitting a woman.

If women (rightfully) want equal pay, and equal opportunities in society that men enjoy, then they need also to take an ass whoopin' just like a man.

[hamilton]

"New Professionalism", Nazgul. New. Professionalism.

[SugarFree]

Whatever. Bitch probably had an unsecured wireless connection at home.

The law is the law. No one told her to go and get pregnant before getting arrested.

[Pi Guy]

Luckily she wasn't carrying her "Taze Me" card.

[SugarFree]

You can keep your fancy gadgets. Sometimes, only beating a restrained pregnant woman with your fists can really get you to flavor country.

[Ryan60657]

This woman should be lucky that she lives in San Antonio and was only beaten by the cops. In Chicago, our police taser pregnant women for parking in handicapped parking spaces (and then laugh about it):
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/st.....id=8692487

[SugarFree]

It's the city's parking space. They can taze or murder anyone they want who's in it. Unlimited property rights for the state. If she didn't want to be tazed, maybe she shouldn't have been conductive. No one told her to leave the house conductive.

[BakedPenguin]

He fetus was perpendicular to traffic.

[BakedPenguin]

"The fetus..."

[The Hammer]

I notice Tulpa isn't in this thread. Is he not done masturbating to the video yet?

[Jesus H. Christ]

LULZ

[Abdul]

No one wrote about this yet, but the camera man says at 58 seconds in "she did look pregnant. shelooked about 2 months pregnant."

Now, that's a guy with good eyes!

[Corporate Drone]

What he meant to say was "well, last night she TOLD me she was pregnant... so I paid her $20 for half-n-half... um, I'm not on camera, am I?"

[Abdul]

If you have sex with a pregnant chick, is that a threesome?

[sarcasmic]

The newborn's first act is to bop you in the forehead and ask "How do you like it? Huh?" *bop* *bop* "You like that?" *bop* *bop* *bop* "Eh? Do ya?" *bop*

[Pope Jimbo]

Color me not surprised. When McManus was the police chief in Minneapolis he was completely ineffectual in stopping the police abuse.

He was an incompetent of the highest order. He got shit on by everyone.

So now he is in San Antonio not reining in his officers there.

[CharlesWT]

There's a McManus lovefest going on in the comments at http://www.policeone.com.

[Dovahkiin]

Holy shit, I almost got a contact arousal from how pleased those nitwits over there were about this.

[Public Citizzen]

If those cops did everything "by the book" then it is time to throw out the book and write a new one.
This is a classic case of "don't confuse me with facts etc."
The participating cops need to be prosecuted for felony assault and the Chief needs to be fired and stripped of pension benefits.
It would appear that the SS is currently alive and well in San Antonio.

[John C. Randolph]

he says his officers did everything by the book.

If that's true, then the book is a criminal instruction manual. If three cops can't get a five-foot-tall woman under control without beating her up, then their hand-to-hand grappling skills are for shit, and they should be fired for incompetence at the very least.

Needless to say, if there were a justice system in this country, all of these perps including their chain of command would be doing hard time for aggravated assault and battery.

-jcr

[Cyto]

Like Pub Cit and JCR above, I find the claim that the officers did "everything by the book" most interesting. He somehow seems to believe that asserting that holding down and beating a handcuffed woman is "by the book" is helpful to the police department.

Effectively: It's OK, our official policy is to have a couple of guys hold down 5'2" 120lb women who are handcuffed and beat them in the head. Well done, officers!

Unfortunately there are very, very few concerned citizens who will take the simple step of voting for public officials who pledge to reform the police department. Quite to the contrary, we seem to come out in droves for boot-licking pols who are effusive in their blanket support for the police.