Opinion ID: 785861
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Struggle to Restrain Mr. Rivas

Text: 12 The struggle on the living room floor between Mr. Rivas, who fell onto his stomach, and the three police officers continued for several minutes. Officer Slater, who was attempting to restrain Mr. Rivas's left arm, later described it as a life and death game of twister. Officer Callaghan, who says he was on Mr. Rivas's other side and was attempting to restrain his right arm, testified that Mr. Rivas was extremely strong, struggled violently and kept pulling away. The third officer, Capuana, kneeled behind Mr. Rivas and tried to pin down his legs. Officer Capuana testified that Mr. Rivas lost control of his bladder during the struggle. 13 All three officers allege that at one point during the struggle, Mr. Rivas tried to grab Officer Callaghan's pistol from his holster. Officer Capuana testified that Mr. Rivas actually had it palmed in his hand, but that Officer Callaghan was able to push Mr. Rivas's hand away. Mrs. Rivas disputes this allegation, claiming that her husband, who was on his stomach throughout the struggle, merely reached around blindly with his arm and touched Officer Callaghan's thigh. Officers Callaghan and Slater also allege that they were bitten by Mr. Rivas. 2 14 Garcia and Rodriguez stayed out of the fray, but observed most of the altercation. Garcia remembers one of the officers sitting on Mr. Rivas's back, around the waistline. He testified that this officer yelled, Don't you see he's trying to get into my gun?, and then proceeded to strike Mr. Rivas in the face with a flashlight. Towards the end of the struggle, Garcia left the apartment to retrieve a lightweight stretcher from the ambulance. 15 Rodriguez remained in the kitchen during the struggle. She did not observe the officers and Mr. Rivas fall to the floor, but she recalls seeing one of the officers place his knee in the middle of Mr. Rivas's back. She also testified that, during the struggle on the floor, one of the officers shoved his flashlight into Mr. Rivas's mouth and left it there for [p]robably not even five minutes. 16 Mrs. Rivas also remained in the kitchen during the struggle. She testified that after the officers threw her husband to the ground, Officer Callaghan sat on his back with his knees straddling Mr. Rivas's torso. She alleges that the officers repeatedly pushed Mr. Rivas's head into the carpet while they tried to handcuff his wrists behind his back. Mrs. Rivas testified that she kept yelling at the police, It's not like that — he's very sick, but that Officer Callaghan stood up and yelled, bitch shut your mouth. Mrs. Rivas's daughter gave similar testimony.