An Arizona sheriff’s deputy who wrestled a 15-year-old boy who has no arms and legs has been placed on administrative leave and is under criminal investigation, according to a report.
Pima County Deputy Manuel Van Santen was captured on video pinning the limbless teen, Immanuel, to the ground on Sept. 26 while responding to a report that the boy knocked over a garbage can at a group home in Tucson and verbally threatened an employee.
The incident prompted police to conduct an internal investigation and led the Pima County Attorney’s Office to drop the charges filed against the quadruple amputee.
“The conduct we observed on the video at face value is shocking, disturbing, and personally saddening to watch,” said Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier, according to the Phoenix New Times.
“On November 15 (Friday) morning, I authorized a criminal investigation into the conduct of Deputy Van Santen and ordered that he be placed on administrative leave.”
The group home worker said the teen was upset because he had just learned he had been suspended.
When Van Santen arrived, Immanuel tried to move away from the deputy, who responded by violently pushing the teen’s face into the floor and pinning him there for several minutes.
The cellphone footage captured by another boy shows Immanuel frantically screaming at the deputy not to hold him down.
Manuel Van SantenPima County Sheriff's DepartmentHe tries to get away, but Van Santen strengthens his hold on the teen and continues to press him into the floor before finally standing back — yelling and cursing in Immanuel’s face.
He asks Immanuel what his problem is, yelling into the boy’s face and asking why he didn’t comply with his commands sooner.
“I will raise my voice to you whenever the f–k I want, you understand?” Van Santen shouts.
Immanuel was arrested for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.
When the criminal probe into Van Santen wraps up, its findings will be shared with the Pima County Attorney’s Office, where it will be up to County Attorney Barbara LaWall to decide whether to file criminal charges against the deputy.
Van Santen also arrested the 16-year-old, known as C.J. in the police report, who shot the video and charged him with being “extremely disruptive and interfering with our investigation.”
Charges against C.J. also have been dropped, Pima County Public Defender Joel Fineman said.
“I don’t know how a 15-year-old with no limbs squirms and wriggles in a violent fashion,” Feinman said, according to KOLD. “Much less a fashion that justifies being assaulted by an armed police officer.”







