ROHNERT PARK, Calif., Aug. 8 (UPI) — A Northern California police officer has been placed on administrative leave after he pulled a gun on a bystander who was filming him with a cellphone, authorities said.
The incident occurred July 29 when resident Don McComas spotted the officer pull into his neighborhood and then appeared to take a picture with his cellphone. At that point, McComas said he became concerned and began to film the incident with his phone, the Los Angeles Times reported.
As McComas was capturing the patrol car’s license plate, officer Dave Rodriguez got out of the vehicle and told McComas to remove his hand from his pocket — to which the resident said he hadn’t done anything wrong.
At that point, Rodriguez removed his gun from his holster, the video shows.
“Why are you doing this?” the officer asked McComas, who responded, “Why are you sitting here with your gun on me? This is why I am doing this. To protect myself from you.”
McComas, who was not arrested or detained as a result of the encounter, has since filed a civil rights claim against the city.
“The purpose of the brandishing of the weapon was apparent. It was to harass him, it was to intimidate him,” McComas’ attorney Jarin Beck said.
The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said it has hired an independent investigator to look into the incident.
“The incident portrayed on the video is not a typical interaction between our public safety officers and the public,” the city responded in a statement.
“While some aspects of their contact were captured on video, Rodriguez is eager to share a complete accounting of the vents which led to his contact with Mr. McComas,” the officer’s attorney, Doug Foley, said.
The resulting publicity from the video has led the department to cancel a community event, for fear of a possible disturbance.
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