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• Originally published on August 28, 2004 in the Star Tribune [here ]
  

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By: Howie Padilla and Curt Brown

A Minneapolis patrol officer is on administrative leave while the Police Department investigates a videotape that shows him striking a handcuffed man earlier this month, authorities said Saturday.

Officer Victor Mills, who joined the force in March 1994, is seen striking the man in the face on the tape, which was taken by a passerby, sources said. It doesn't appear that the man was offering any resistance to the arrest, the sources said.

Mills was placed on administrative leave Friday pending the outcome of an investigation. Community members, including members of the Police-Community Relations Council, were told of the incident. Mills has no record of prior disciplinary actions, department spokesman Ron Reier said.

Located at his south Minneapolis apartment late Saturday, the man seen being arrested on the tape, Joel Matos Ramos, 27, declined to comment on the incident.

He referred all questions to his attorney. Attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.

Although police haven't  released the identity of the officer involved, his attorney, Fred Bruno, identified him as Mills.

Bruno said there is some question about whether Ramos had both hands cuffed when the "slaps" occurred.

"My client used authorized force to keep the person under control and to protect his own safety," he said.

Victor Martinez, a Hispanic community leader contacted about the incident by Chief Bill McManus, applauded the chief for reaching out to the community and taking swift action.

"This is really a volatile situation," Martinez said. "These types of things have been going on for years, but usually the victims are too afraid to come forward."

"At least it seems that the chief is doing what he said he was planning to all along," he said of McManus, who has pledged to work to improve communication between police and community members.

Martinez, who viewed the videotape Friday, said much of what happened could have been avoided if officers were more culturally aware.

Shortly after midnight on Aug. 15, police were called to the 2900 block of Park Avenue S. on a complaint about a loud party. When they arrived, things were out of control, Reier said.

A passerby came upon the scene filled with squad cars and started videotaping, sources said.

"They need to learn that when we are celebrating, our parties can be loud," Martinez said. "We are playing music and dancing. We're not trying to be aggressive."

"Let's be honest here," he continued. "What this man did was abuse his authority. Now he has to suffer the consequences."

Ramos was among at least three people arrested on suspicion of obstructing the legal process, disorderly conduct and noisy party.

Martinez said that he and the Hispanic community believe in second chances. They don't need to see Mills' career ended, but he should be trained to be more culturally aware, he said.

"I think that as part of his punishment, he should spend a month with a Hispanic family," Martinez said. "He would find that he has more similarities with them than with a Canadian family."

Bruno stressed Mills' record, saying that he also spent eight years as an officer in Iowa and has at least 14 commendations in his law enforcement career.

Martinez said that if anything good comes out of the taped incident, it should be that people realize that they should report crimes against them.

"Often people suffer in silence," he said. "They are afraid of the immigration and being deported, so they don't report these incidents. The police are not immigration.

"People need to know that there are resources for people to go to. They can go to the church, get an attorney. We can get them help."

The writers are at hpadilla@startribune.com and curt.brown@startribune.com .