A video that shows sheriff’s deputies violently arresting a 33-year-old Jurupa Valley man who later died at a hospital has sparked outrage, with a prayer rally scheduled on Sunday.
Ernie Serrano stopped breathing after he was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at a Riverside Stater Bros. supermarket, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Medics were able to obtain a pulse from Serrano before he was taken to a hospital, where his condition deteriorated and he died, sheriff’s officials said.
Sgt. Lionel Murphy said that when deputies arrived at the market, they saw Serrano tussling with a security guard and attempting to take the guard’s gun.
“While detaining Serrano, he continued fighting with the deputies and did not comply with their commands. At that time, a use of force occurred,” Murphy said.
The use of force and whether it resulted in Serrano’s death is under investigation, he said.
However, Serrano’s family disputes the department’s account of what happened.
“Pigs are lying about what took place but there’s plenty of video to show what really went down,” Michelle Castillo, Serrano’s aunt, wrote on Facebook.
A video showing a portion of the arrest shows a deputy repeatedly hitting Serrano with a baton before he is tackled to the ground and surrounded by other deputies.
A prayer rally was planned for noon on Sunday at the Stater Bros. where the arrest took place, 5571 Mission Blvd.
A GoFundMe page created by Justice for Ernie to help cover funeral costs raised $11,139 of its $25,000 goal as of Saturday morning and can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/ernie-serrano-memorial.