SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Santa Ana Police Department is investigating surveillance video that purports to show officers disabling cameras, making derogatory remarks about an amputee, eating and playing darts during a raid at a marijuana dispensary, according to a newspaper report.
The first of the edited clips from the May 26 raid at Sky High Collective shows officers breaking through the front door and ordering several customers to the floor, the Orange County Register reported Thursday.
A clip purports to show officers later making demeaning remarks about a woman in a wheelchair with an amputated left leg who was in the dispensary.
Another clip shows an officer throwing darts. Then, an officer can be seen unwrapping a small package and putting something in his mouth. It’s not clear what he’s eating.
Cmdr. Chris Revere called the video “concerning” and said an internal affairs investigation is underway.
“We expect our officers to act in a certain way,” said Revere, who is in charge of the department’s internal affairs division. “If they don’t, we hold them accountable. But at the same time, we have to be fair.”
The video also shows officers removing surveillance cameras. It’s possible the officers did so as they collected evidence in connection with a search warrant, Revere said.
Attorney Matthew Pappas, who represents Sky High Collective, provided the edited clips to the newspaper and other media outlets Wednesday. He could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Police have attempted to reach Pappas for an unedited version of the video, Revere said.
“Having the whole video shortens the investigation process because we get a complete picture,” he said.
None of the officers involved in the raid have been placed on administrative leave, Revere said.
The internal affairs investigation could take several weeks, according to the newspaper.
