Community members are demanding justice after the violent arrest of an amputee was caught on camera in East Los Angeles.

Video of the incident shows Alejandro Hernandez, 34, being punched by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Nov. 20. His loved ones said the incident is an example of law enforcement brutality.

Hernandez’s family said he was washing his truck on Monday afternoon when East L.A. deputies suddenly pulled up and began harassing him. 

The sheriff’s department said deputies had recognized Hernandez as an active gang member who was walking down the street near the 3500 block of Floral Drive.

They claimed he appeared to be hiding something in his waistband. 

When deputies made contact with Hernandez, they allegedly felt a firearm in his waistband. They said Hernandez had resisted arrest, which was why force was used. 

Video of the incident shows two L.A. County deputies restraining Hernandez on the ground. One deputy has Hernandez in a chokehold as the other deputy holds Hernandez’s arms back while repeatedly punching him in the face. 

The deputy punching him is heard ordering Hernandez to “give up his hands.”

Hernandez was seen with his arms outstretched and his palms open. His family members are heard pleading with deputies to stop hitting him. 

As the deputy continues punching Hernandez, his knuckles can be seen covered in blood.

Authorities recovered a loaded 9 mm handgun during the confrontation. Hernandez was arrested on charges of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and battery on a police officer. 

“We believe that is unjust and a violation of his civil rights and it’s just such a graphic thing to subject the community to, especially someone who is just a member of the community,” said Christian Contreras, Hernandez’s attorney.

“They charged him with multiple crimes and they tried to cover it up by charging him with resisting arrest which it’s almost impossible to resist arrest when you’re being choked and punched in the face,” Contreras said. “They did that because many people don’t know that if you plead guilty to a crime, then you cannot sue the police or the government.”

Community members and loved ones claim this incident is the latest example in a series of unnecessarily violent encounters with L.A. County deputies, especially those from the East L.A. station. 

“We know about the Bandidos,” said Aracely Covarrubias, an East L.A. resident. “We know that they have a gang within the sheriff’s department. It’s all out in the open and the things they do, they film it on video, they even beat women. Imagine what happens, what goes on behind those closed doors.”

Several weeks ago, the L.A. County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission held a meeting addressing the rise in claims of deputy harassment. However, the sheriff’s department has not addressed claims that Hernandez was harassed during his arrest, only that they are investigating the use of force during the incident.

On Saturday morning, a group of protestors gathered outside the East L.A. Sheriff’s Station, calling for justice and an end to police brutality and excessive force.

“Change is exactly what we need,” said Covarrubias. “That’s the keyword — change.”

The East L.A. County Sheriff’s Station was the focus of a 2019 lawsuit filed by eight deputies who alleged they were repeatedly harassed by deputy gang members known as The Banditos.

Footage of the arrest can be seen in the video player above.