Body-worn camera footage shows RPD officers helping Border Patrol during a traffic stop
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New body camera footage released by the City of Rochester shows the moment Rochester Police officers helped Border Patrol in a traffic stop on March 24, which now has sparked many public debates.
In the first part of the video, an RPD officer tells the people to get out of the van and step out, saying to “just get out, it’s no big deal.” The officer also threatened to break the window of the van if they didn’t comply. When the man comes out of the van in another clip, an RPD officer is the one to put the handcuffs on.
Border Patrol officers can be seen standing behind RPD, even though city policy states RPD officers are to not get involved in immigration arrests. An RPD officer in the video even states they are not even allowed to call on immigration arrests.
RPD was called for an emergency response, which is what prompted them to arrive. Although city policy states they cannot get involved, RPD officers are allowed to protect any police officer at any time.
Other parts of the video show citizens at the scene expressing concern, and another RPD officer trying to stop the officer handcuffing the man.
Federal investigators say three people were arrested during this stop, but only one, Oswaldo Galvan-Lopez from Guatemala, has been identified. Lopez was charged with illegal reentry due to a previous deportation.
According to federal prosecutors, the other two arrested “have no immigration status.”
The officers that helped during the stop were accused of breaking city policy and have since been retrained.
Watch the full video here:
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