By Kevin Wilson
Staff writer
kwilson@cnjonline.com
A Clovis attorney has levied additional accusations, complete with video evidence, against a Clovis police officer facing internal and criminal investigations for excessive force.
Attorney Dan Lindsey said a Clovis woman came forward last week after hearing reports about the internal investigation of Officer Brent Aguilar, who is accused of slamming Jorge Corona of Clovis onto the pavement during an Aug. 3 traffic stop and breaking his cheekbone.
Lindsey said in a February case brought to him, just like in Corona’s case, an arrest was made for concealing identity and resisting arrest. In the February case, Lindsey said he believes Aguilar used excessive force in taking Melanie Ryan of Clovis to the ground on her concrete porch. The takedown caused bruising to her chest and face, he said.
Aguilar, in the report he filed in the case, said Ryan repeatedly resisted his attempt to arrest her, trying to pull her arm away and break free.
Lindsey said he received video from Clovis police from the Feb. 6 arrests of Melanie and Brandon Ryan of Clovis. The couple was arrested after witnesses said they were arguing loudly at their home on the 1000 block of Rencher street.
In the video, Aguilar is the second officer to report to the scene, just after 7:30 p.m.
Aguilar tells Melanie Ryan, “Outside, or you’re going to jail.”
Melanie Ryan informs Aguilar that she had a verbal argument with her husband and she tried to take a walk to calm down, but her husband followed her on her walk.
On the video, Aguilar asks Melanie Ryan for her identification, name and date of birth; she says she doesn’t have her ID and declines to give her name or date of birth. At that point, Aguilar informs her that she is under arrest for concealing her identity.
“I attempted to take control of Melanie’s right wrist to apply handcuffs to her,” Aguilar wrote in the police report of the incident, which was supplied by Lindsey. “As I took hold of Melanie’s right wrist, she raised her right elbow to my face and started pulling her arm away from me. I started to struggle with Melanie as she continued to resist my efforts to place her in handcuffs and I noticed I was starting to lose traction on the porch we were standing on due to a large amount of ice accumulation on the concrete. I escorted Melanie to an exterior wall as she continued to try and break free of my hold in attempt to stabilize her and place a handcuff on her wrist. Once at the wall, Melanie started pushing off the wall into my body and pulling her arm away at the same time.
“I became concerned if the struggle continued the possibility of both of us falling on the ice would increase and the potential for injury to Melanie or myself was greater because of the struggle so I took Melanie to the ground.”
The police video continues and shows Aguilar arresting Brandon Ryan on charges that were later dismissed.
Melanie Ryan pleaded no contest to a concealing identity charge. Other charges against her were dismissed, court records show. All charges against Brandon Ryan were dismissed.
Clovis Police Chief Steve Sanders said Saturday he wasn’t aware of Lindsey’s latest allegations against Aguilar.
“It’s very concerning,” Sanders said, “and we take them very seriously and we’ll look into them.”
Sanders said Aguilar remains on paid administrative leave in connection with the criminal and internal investigations into the arrest of Corona.
A link to the unedited police video, as provided by Lindsey, is below. It has not been edited and readers should be aware it contains vulgar language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxGdXhH4iV4
