Police Chief Orders Internal Investigation As Video Surfaces

VALLEJO, CA — After the Vallejo Police Department became aware Thursday that a U.S. Marine veteran is accusing a Vallejo police officer of assaulting him — with video of the veteran's encounter with the officer circulating both on social media and in the news media — the city's police chief has launched an internal affairs investigation.

After viewing the cellphone video footage of what started as a traffic stop, police Chief Andrew Bidou called for the investigation to be conducted in an "expeditious manner," police Capt. John Whitney said in a news release.

The chief ordered the investigation "even though we have not received any citizen's complaint regarding the traffic stop," Whitney said.

As of late Thursday afternoon, internal affairs investigators had already contacted one of the subjects in the video to gather further information, the captain said.

Whitney noted that the entire incident was captured on the officer's body camera and will be reviewed in connection with this investigation.

"Upon completion of the investigation, Chief Bidou will thoroughly review all of the facts and make the final determination," Whitney said.

Following the Jan. 22 encounter with the police officer, Vallejo resident Adrian Burrell, 28, who identified himself as a black man and a U.S. Marine veteran, said he has retained a civil rights attorney.

In an interview, Burrell said he was relaxing in his home at about 3:15 p.m. that day when he saw his cousin outside on his motorcycle with his hands up. Vallejo police Officer David McLaughlin was crouched behind the door of his patrol car, pointing his gun at Burrell's cousin.

Burrell stepped outside onto his home's porch on Byron Street. He said his cousin was wearing a motorcycle helmet and couldn't hear the officer, and walked toward McLaughlin, saying, "Hey he can't hear you, he has his helmet on," according to Burrell.

When McLaughlin yelled at Burrell to go back in the house, Burrell, still standing on his front porch, took out his phone and began recording the incident.

In the video, McLaughlin appears to begin handcuffing Burrell.

"Stop resisting me or I'm going to put you on the ground," McLaughlin says.

"I'm not resisting. Put me on the ground," Burrell says.

Eventually the camera swings around and lands on the ground.

Burrell said that McLaughlin mashed his face into a wall and swung him into a pole. He applied the handcuffs so tight it broke the skin on his right hand and left his fingers numb.

Burrell said McLaughlin then put him in the patrol car and asked if he was on probation. Burrell said he is not on probation and has no criminal record.

McLaughlin has been a Vallejo police officer since 2014 and was previously in the Oakland Police Department. His twin brother, Ryan McLaughlin, is also a Vallejo police officer. Both brothers have previously been sued for alleged civil rights violations.

Read more about the encounter and Burrell's lawsuit here.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Lead image via video provided by Burrell to Bay City News Service