Porfirio Santos-Lopez's wife describes his mental problems, plans to sue

Sep 5, 2013 07:19 GMT  ·  By

An incident involving Long Beach police officers has grabbed headlines, with police brutality accusations surfacing.

On Labor Day, officers arrested a 46-year-old man after severely beating him with a baton. A witness who wishes to remain anonymous has described the suspect being tasered and struck repeatedly without attacking police beforehand.

“In the beginning, he was not fighting back. He was just laying there, taking the Tase and the baton hits. [...] I guess it’s just a typical reaction that anybody would have — just start kicking around,” the witness tells KTLA.

The man has been identified as Porfirio Santos-Lopez, and his family are planning to sue the department.

He was approached by police after a physical altercation with two other men, Web Pro News reported. Lee Ann Hernandez, the suspect's wife, explains that he suffers from mental problems.

She adds that the police are familiar with his mental issues, having been called to help the man in the past.

“He needs help because he hears people talking and he sees people, and he knows that,” she says.

Hernandez adds that he has incurred serious injuries, including two fractures which require a surgical intervention.

“They broke two of his bones in his right arm around his elbow. They broke it so bad that he needed surgery,” she details.

Long Beach police Sgt. Aaron Eaton argued that he was “kicking at the officers” before forceful steps were taken to restrain him.

“That individual seemed to be irrational. He was combative,” Eaton explains, citing the suspect resisting arrest.

The incident is currently under investigation, with the two police officers participating in the arrest still being on duty.

The pair are facing accusations of using excessive force during the arrest. They have not been suspended during the course of the inquiry.