The Santa Ana Police Department has launched an internal affairs investigation into the conduct of several officers captured on video during a recent raid on a medical marijuana dispensary, where one played darts, two mocked an amputee and one ate what appears to be a pot-laced confection.
Clips from the May 26 raid at Sky High Collective were released to news media this week by Attorney Matthew Pappas, who represents the dispensary and says a suit soon will be filed.
The raid began with officers breaking through the front door of the 17th Street dispensary and ordering customers to the floor.
“Everybody on the ground,” says one officer. “Hands on your head.”
One clip, featuring subtitles, appears to show officers making disparaging remarks about a woman in a wheelchair with an amputated left leg.
“Did you punch that one-legged old Benita,” a male officer asks a female officer.
“I was about to kick her in her (expletive) nub,” the female officer replies, according to the subtitles.
In another clip, one officer asks, “What flavor?” Then an officer can be seen unwrapping a small package and putting something in his mouth.
Santa Ana Police Cmdr. Chris Revere, who is in charge of his department’s internal affair division, told The Orange County Register: “We expect our officers to act in a certain way. … If they don’t we hold them accountable. But at the same time we have to be fair.”
The internal affairs investigation could take several weeks. A final report will be delivered to Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas, who will determine if department policies were violated, Revere said.
—Staff and wire reports