The family of a 14-year-old boy who was treated roughly by a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy say they want the deputy to be fired and charged with child abuse. A short video of the incident, which took place in Rancho Cordova, has gone viral.
In a statement, the Sheriff's Department said the deputy, who was working under contract with the Rancho Cordova Police Department, was patrolling an area on Monday where citizens had complained about hand-to-hand sales of alcohol, tobacco and drugs to minors.
The video clip of the incident shows the deputy, who appears to be white, grabbing the African American teen's right wrist and pulling his arm in an apparent attempt to turn the teen onto his stomach.
The teen appeared to resist, and the deputy used a hand to push the youth's face toward the ground while pulling the teen's right hand behind his back. The deputy then punched the teen with his right hand while holding him down with his left hand.