A Texas police officer has been placed on administrative leave after he was captured on a camera using a Taser on a 76-year-old man during a recent traffic stop.
The officer, identified as Nathanial Robinson, was in the process of arresting Pete Vasquez last Thursday when he threw the elderly man onto the hood of the police car, pushed him to the ground and proceeded to use his Taser on him, according to CNN-affiliate KPRC and dash cam video.
Vasquez said it appeared the officer was “enjoying” it.
“I’m putting the handcuffs, put your hands on the back of your back… and I turn around and he pulled that Taser… and then he shot me with it,” he told the television station. “It looked like he’s enjoying doing that”
The incident, which occurred in Victoria, Texas, has prompted outrage in the community,
“It sickens me,” said Larry Urich, who watched the whole thing unfold from just a few feet away. According to Urich, the officer was questioning Vasquez about an expired inspection sticker on the vehicle he was driving.
As Vasquez tried to explain he was driving a dealer car with dealer plates — and therefore did not need the sticker — the officer apparently got angry, grabbed the elderly man and tried to handcuff him.
At that point, according to Urich, Vasquez pulled his arm back and the officer took him down.
“He grabbed Pete and tackled him. Pete didn’t fall down, he was tackled,” Urich said, adding the man’s head barely missed hitting the curb as he fell.
Vasquez told KPRC the officer used the Taser a second time because he didn’t get up fast enough.
“He ordered me to get up and get up, so he could put the handcuffs on me, and I couldn’t get up. So he put his Taser and he did it again,” he said.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Victoria Police Department.
CNN contributed to this report.
