Appeal

Officer Under Investigation – Nathanial Robinson

Nathanial Robinson: Officer Under Investigation

To Serve and Protect

In light of recent highly publicized police shootings of civilians, United States police forces have faced an extremely heightened sense of scrutiny. From Missouri to Ohio and New York to Arizona, police officers, acting in the name of law enforcement, have been the cause of civilian deaths in varying situations. While reasonable minds have come to differing conclusions on the legality of such police action, many remain outraged that none of these officers have yet been forced to explain themselves to a jury of their peers. In what appears to be a time of the general public’s heightened sensitivity toward police conduct, some officers are continuing to test the limits of reasonable force.

A Traffic Stop

A Texas officer named Nathanial Robinson, 23, is under investigation for what began as a routine traffic stop in Victoria. A dash cam video from Robinson’s car shows most of the altercation and the aftermath. Robinson stopped Pete Vasquez at an Adam’s Auto Mart. Vasquez is a 76-year-old man who was driving a vehicle with a dealer’s license plate. Vasquez got out of his car and an argument between the two ensued. Vasquez attempted to point out to Robinson that he had dealer plates on the car and therefore there was no reason to stop him. Robinson attempted to grab a paper from Vasquez’s hand and then grabs Vasquez’s arm and twists it behind his back. The 23-year-old easily took Vasquez to the ground and yelled for Vasquez to put his hands behind his back. As Robinson stood over Vasquez, he fired his stun gun twice at Vasquez who remained on the ground.

The Aftermath

Nathanial RobinsonThe officer apparently stopped Vasquez for violating a law that requires that license plates have inspections stickers. In Texas, dealer plates, such as those on Vasquez’s car, are exempt from inspection. Victoria Police Chief Jeffrey Craig confirmed this fact in recent interviews with the Huffington Post. Vasquez was later taken to a hospital and released without a single citation. Police Chief Craig personally apologized to Vasquez and told the Associated Press that Robinson was placed on administrative duty pending an investigation. District Attorney Stephen Tyler stated that the officer could face charges such as official oppression, injury to elderly, aggravated assault and assault.

The Department’s Response

In response to the many Facebook posts the Department’s page received, the department posted the following statement: We place incredible value in public trust and have worked diligently to build that trust. In the interest of transparency, and knowing that many of you are looking for an outlet to express your feelings on the matter, we are creating this post to allow your comments to be heard. Reiterating this point, Craig stated that, Public trust is extremely important to us.

At Brownstone Law, we both respect the dangerous jobs that officers do and understand that officers are not above the law. If you have been subjected to excessive force by law enforcement,contact us today to discuss your appeal.

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