California Officer's Interaction With Autistic Teen Investigated

VACAVILLE, CA — An investigation has been launched into a Vacaville police officer's recent interactions with an autistic teenager, the city's acting chief of police said.

The 17-year-old boy's father, Adam Wolf, took to Facebook about the incident around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday in which he said the officer acted aggressively toward his son, screamed at him, threw his scooter, threw him to the ground and punched him.

The incident was recorded on a doorbell camera and uploaded by Wolf to Facebook.

"All of this was witnessed by multiple neighbors and caught on video," Wolf wrote. "In the video you can hear [my son] telling the officer to 'call his parents.' I don't believe that [my son] will ever trust a police officer again. I am pro police, but I am not pro ABUSE! This individual and department must be held accountable for their actions. NO child, disability or not, deserves to be treated like this. Please be aware, the following videos are Disturbing. Please make this go viral."

The videos are posted below and show the officer's encounter with the teen:

The following day, Acting Vacaville police Chief Ian Schmutzler took to Facebook to "assure you all that myself and the department’s leadership are taking this matter seriously and FULLY investigating any and all aspects of this incident."

Police said in a news release an officer was sent around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of an assault with a knife or a pipe. The officer found the victim, a 16-year-old boy, suffering minor injuries that according to a news report did not require medical attention.

The officer then found the suspect and asked him to sit down, which he did, police said in the news release.

"When the police officer took out his handcuffs, the suspect actively began resisting arrest, trying to get up and run. In response, the officer forced the suspect to the ground and onto his stomach," police reportedly said in the release.

Chief Schmutzler said a preliminary review of the available video and radio traffic indicates the arresting officer did not have prior knowledge that the suspect was an individual with special needs.

"We are in the process of confirming the time stamps of those various sources so we have an accurate timeline of the events of the incident," Schmutzler said.

"Our staff returned to the teen’s residence yesterday and met with family members to foster the dialogue needed to understand what happened from all points of view," Schmutzler said. "Any time there is a use of force, it is difficult to watch. Uses of force are taken seriously by the department and all use of force incidents are reviewed by the supervisor, the watch commander, and a use-of-force review committee. I want to assure you that I do NOT take this circumstance lightly and that I am dedicated to doing all I can to ensure accountability and transparency as we examine ALL aspects of this incident."