Opinion ID: 2817285
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Other witnesses’ version

Text: Velazquez and other witnesses recalled a starkly different series of events. According to them, no one was drinking on the street at the time the police arrived, and there were no beer bottles or VELAZQUEZ V. CITY OF LONG BEACH 9 cans present.4 Dennis Torres Magana, Velazquez’s nephew who was at the scene, testified that, after the officers had pulled up in their police car, he told Abuhadwan, “Don’t worry. We’re leaving, Officer.” Velazquez, who had been speaking to his mother, Elvira Hernandez, then asked Magana and the officers, “what’s up?” Velazquez recalled a similar interchange — according to him, he asked the officers, “what’s going on?” Abuhadwan appeared to be driving away when Velazquez asked his question, but he “stopped the car, put it in reverse, came back” and asked what Velazquez had said. Velazquez replied, “I said, ‘what’s up.’” The officers then got out of the car, and Abuhadwan started “speed walking towards” Velazquez. Magana heard Abuhadwan say, “I’m tired of people calling because of you, mother fuckers.”5 Abuhadwan then, according to Magana, grabbed Velazquez and “threw him to the ground.” Magana testified that Velazquez offered “no resistance” when Abuhadwan grabbed him. Velazquez similarly testified that Abuhadwan “walk[ed] up to [him], “grab[bed] him,” and “threw [him] to the ground.” According to Velazquez and Magana, Abuhadwan as he approached did not tell Velazquez to put his hands behind his head. Officer Ron, who was approximately four to ten feet away, also testified that he did not hear Abuhadwan issue any such order. Several witnesses at trial, including Ron, testified that they did not recall Velazquez telling Abuhadwan to “fuck 4 No photographs were taken, nor was any evidence collected, at the scene of the incident. 5 Abuhadwan disputed that he made such a statement. 10 VELAZQUEZ V. CITY OF LONG BEACH off”; indeed, Ron testified that he did not hear Velazquez utter any profanities during the “entire altercation.” After being taken down to the ground, Velazquez did not hear Abuhadwan tell him to roll over or issue any other commands. Magana testified that Abuhadwan did not give Velazquez an opportunity to roll over onto his stomach before striking him with the baton. Several witnesses stated that while being struck on the ground, Velazquez told Abuhadwan several times, “I’m not about violence”; Abuhadwan disputed that Velazquez said that. Witnesses also testified that after Velazquez rolled over, Abuhadwan continued to strike him. According to Velazquez’s mother, Velazquez was bleeding from the side of his face as he was taken to the patrol car.