And from burglary to police beatdown. That's what happened to Marvin Espinoza last night when he stopped by the Mahogany Street police station to check on a friend who'd been violently detained during what was supposed to be a routine stop and search.
Little did Espinoza know that the cops weren't done with violence for the night, and that he was about to become the next victim of their brutality. He re-capped that story for 7news earlier today.
Marvin Espinoza, Victim of Police Brutality
"I'm talking to the police here and I'm expressing myself to the police and things and from there I see one I know everyday fixing a cycle, he just picked up an iron steel and walking to try to size me up for whopping me. So I got his attention right away and I asked him what happened, what was that for. I didn't come with any weapon, I came to query what happened to my friend and so the man with the iron steel come and he didn't say anything, just watching me and I ask what will he do with that and who will you whap with that. Afterwards, a police who is Martinez - the police came in my vicinity and they they know I am a person who they can get along with than anybody else. I have a good relationship with the police in my vicinity, especially the one last night who grab be by my throat, after the one with the stick approached me and I ask what will he do with that. I got snatch by my throat and drag into the station."
"When I reach in the station, the police told me to go on my knees, the same mechanic police came and put his finger on my nose - one locking off my nose and the other locking off my breath. Then afterwards he didn't let me go, he said what he had to say and then let me go. Another police who was with them, who he and I are alright, he offered me 2 cups of water."
Reporter
"Will you be making a report to the professional standard branch?"
Marvin Espinoza, Victim of Police Brutality
"I already did this morning. They ask if I wanted disciplinary actions and I told them yes, because something like that I have never experience. I don't put myself out there, I am not in any gang, I haven't shot any gun, I don't go and steal. All the police who comes here, I could say about 98% of them have a good relationship, because they know I am not into badness. They know the job that I have. But I am just saying what happened last night they could have taken my life. 3-5 minutes they deprived me of oxygen to my brain. You what that would have caused? I just want Mr. Williams finds out about this and get to the bottom of this, because what they did with me I don't know if they do anyone else that. But that right there - dead man tell no tale and they had suffocated me and kill me in there, they would pretty it up and say that so this went on."
"If my swing my neck right now, I have to turn my whole body to look around, like they whip-lash me. I have to tell them that they can't go about and chance anybody."
Espinoza figures he was unconscious for as much as 5 minutes. He says his trust in the police has been shaken.
