By H. Nelson Goodson
December 15, 2013
Mexico City - On Saturday, a 21-year-old man was taken into custody around 1:00 p.m. by two Mexico, D.F. police officers, Arturo Cruz L. with badge number 34494 and M. Degadillo R. after jumping a turnstile and video taping his own illegal arrest with an iPod. The man told the officers, that he jumped the turnstiles in protest of recently raised prices to ride the Metrotrain. He was a lone protester, according to the man.
The man is then searched by Officer Cruz L. and taken to a near by office at the Metro. Officer Delgadillo R. tells the man its not a civil offense to jump the turnstile, but the man continues to be detained.
Officer Cruz L. gets agitated as the man continues to video record his incident. The officer then reacts by putting his arm around the man's neck while choking him and forces him to the ground. In the back ground, Officer Degadillo tells Officer Cruz L. to let go and leave the man alone. As the man hits the ground, his iPod screen breaks.
Officer Cruz L. defends his actions by telling the man, that its illegal to video record. The man is then walked to the number 10 B. Juarez delegation to be processed as the man in a loud voice repeatedly continues to say, "I'm being arrested for jumping the turnstiles, protesting higher prices to use the metro and for video recording...they are violating my right of free expression."
According to Mexico, D.F. metro laws, it's not a civil offense, if someone jumps the turnstiles. Anyone caught jumping the trunstiles is escorted out of the metro or can pay their way back in to ride the subtrain. Also, it isn't illegal to video tape your own arrest as Officer Cruz L. tries to interpret.
Officer Cruz L. undoubtedly used his authority to abuse the man and damaged the man's property, while unlawfully detaining him. The man never resisted as he was arrested and choked by Officer Cruz L.
The ticket price for riding the Collective Metro Transport System in Mexico City was raised by 15 cents on Saturday, from $3.00 pesos (23 cents U.S.) to $5.00 pesos (38 cents U.S.). More than 5.2 million people use the Metro system on a daily basis.
The ticket price for riding the Collective Metro Transport System in Mexico City was raised by 15 cents on Saturday, from $3.00 pesos (23 cents U.S.) to $5.00 pesos (38 cents U.S.). More than 5.2 million people use the Metro system on a daily basis.
The Metro officials couldn't estimate how many people jumped the turnstiles, since the price of riding the Metrotrain was raised yesterday.
The video has gone viral on the social networks and YouTube.
The video has gone viral on the social networks and YouTube.
Video of arrest at link: http://t.co/kLy78sUGWN
