The Jalisco Human Rights Commission (CEDHJ) has asked Puerto Vallarta Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña to open an investigation after a video circulated on social media of police officers violently arresting a woman for not respecting coronavirus guidelines.
The woman and a companion apparently went around police tape on the city’s closed waterfront area to take a selfie over the weekend and removed their masks to do so.
Officers asked the couple to leave the restricted area, which they say they were trying to do when they were arrested.
A man filmed a 57-second video of the woman being forced into handcuffs while a female police officer had her in a chokehold, then shoved her into a seat in the back of a pickup while she shouted and complained that the female officers were hurting her.
“Why are you arresting her?” the man filming the video kept asking a male police officer who tried to keep him away from the incident.
Policías agresivos de Puerto Vallarta detienen con violencia a una pareja de Turistas por caminar y quitarse el cubrebocas, violando sus Garantías Constitucionales. La joven fue golpeada y ahorcada @El_Universal_Mx @lajornadaonline @Notimex @QuadratinMexico @epigmenioibarra https://t.co/LNdlaj676B
— RG AVN13 🇲🇽 (@RGAVN13) May 18, 2020
“It is requested that the Commissioner of Public Security identify the police officers that intervened in the events and, where appropriate, carry out the corresponding administrative procedure guaranteeing their right to a hearing and defense,” the text from the CEDHJ states. It also cautions that officers must be trained to avoid harassing, threatening or intimidating citizens for not adhering to coronavirus restrictions.
The Puerto Vallarta police said in a statement on Tuesday that the couple were verbally aggressive toward arresting officers and had been drinking and disobeyed orders to leave the beach. Police said they paid a fine upon arriving at the police station and left in less than 40 minutes.
The mayor’s office admitted the officers involved were at fault for using force but stated that they were only enforcing state health measures.
Source: El Occidental (sp), Uno TV (sp), Mural (sp)
