Racist Española Police Beat Down Latino Teen

Three officers with the Española Police Department called 17-year-old Juan Campos a mojado— the Spanish term for "wetback"— during a March 17 beating in his home that left him bleeding from his nose and ears, and hospitalized with blood in his urine and his lungs, his attorney, Thomas Clark, said. "These guys beat my client to a pulp," Clark said in court Tuesday before showing photos of his client's injuries to Santa Fe District Judge Michael Vigil. Clark referred to the police officers' actions as use of "deadly force" with "batons, mace, boots and fists."Juan Campos, who apparently challenged the three officers to fight him and then went at them with fists raised.  Assistant district attorney Chris Conlee said that Campos has an "extensive criminal history" in juvenile court, with "over 15 referrals" to the District Attorney's Office. "Nobody -- no matter what their criminal history -- deserves to be treated this way by the police," Clark said. Based on an allegation that officers used excessive force, state police are looking into the incident, said Sgt. Miguel Aguilar, an investigator. According to police when he saw the officers, Campos took off his jacket, put up his fists and challenged them to a fight. He then came toward the officers aggressively, and one of them sprayed him with pepper spray. The officers then tried to handcuff Campos, but he was uncooperative, and it took several minutes for police to get the cuffs on the teenager.  The doctor who examined Campos noted he was lethargic and had slurred speech, swollen eyes, bruises on his face and head, a fractured rib, bruises on the right side of his abdomen and lacerations on both wrists, Clark said, again quoting the St. Vincent report. The cut on Campos' left wrist was described as "significant," he said. Clark said the wrist lacerations indicate to him either the handcuffs were too tight or Campos was beaten after the cuffs were put on him. [more] and [more]