The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating a foot chase from February where an officer tackled a suspect holding a 10-month-old baby, who was later found to have a fractured skull.
The LAPD released body camera footage on Sunday of the encounter, which took place on 11 February, 2022.
A group of gang enforcement officers were finished up a traffic stop when they saw a silver Jeep Wrangler with tinted windows driving erratically, then collide with a flatbed truck.
As officers approached the crash, the Jeep drove away.
Eventually, a man later identified as Josue Huerta, 25, exited the badly damaged SUV and took off on foot.
According to police, officers weren’t aware he was holding a baby until they tackled him to the ground and heard the child crying.
“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to take him home,” Mr Huerta can be heard telling officers as they begin to handcuff him.
“Are you kidding me?” an officer can be heard saying, as the crying child is scooped up into the arms of another.
The child, Mr Huerta’s son, was later taken to the hospital and found with a “small” skull fracture to the side of the head, and tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, according to police. The infant has been released into the care of his mother.
The LAPD is now investigating the incident as a use of force, according to LAPD Captain Stacy Spell, who narrates the body camera footage released to the public.
“The incident is being investigated as a categorical use of force incident because the use of force cannot be ruled out as the cause of the injury,” he said.
Mr Huerta was arrested and charged with child abuse, avoiding officers, possessing narcotics for sale, and misdemeanor hit and run.
Officers say they found narcotics, three unloaded guns, and a large amount of cash following a search after the chase.
Mr Huerta will appear in court in April, and is in jail on a $215,000 bond.
The LAPD use of force investigating will eventually go to the police chief and LAPD Board of Police to see if any policies were violated, a process that could take up to a year.
