Latino City Councilman Alleges Police Brutality by Riverside Deputy

Wearing a neck brace and a bandage on his left hand, Coachella City Councilman Gilbert Ramirez Jr. stood outside City Hall Friday afternoon for a brief press conference in which his attorney accused a Riverside County sheriff's deputy of using "wildly excessive force" during the official's Wednesday's arrest. "The deputy attacked him for no reason," said San Diego attorney Terry Singleton. Ramirez, 42, was arrested after he allegedly became involved in a physical fight with a female deputy over the towing of a truck, according to sheriff's officials. Cpl. Dennis Gutierrez, Riverside County Sheriff's Department public information officer, said during the fight Ramirez grabbed the deputy's baton and was pepper sprayed by a male community services officer. But Singleton said his client only grabbed the baton to keep the deputy from hitting him. He said his client did not lose his temper or use profanity with the deputy. Surrounded by family members, including his parents and daughter, Ramirez said he had trouble getting out of bed Friday and found it "kind of hard to talk." Singleton said Ramirez had suffered three fractures to his hand when the deputy twisted it while he was already on the ground. Wednesday's incident, Singleton said, is part of a pattern of misconduct by the Sheriff's Department against Hispanics in the east valley that ranges from unlawful use of deadly force to unreasonable towing. He said he will be asking the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a civil rights investigation. [more]