Family claims video shows LASD excessive use of force

LYNWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- New video released shows an incident in which bystanders claim Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies used excessive force on them in Lynwood this March.

The video shows deputies arresting one person on the sidewalk outside a home as two other men, Marco Arevalo and his father, stand nearby.

Arevalo and his father are then told to go inside their home by deputies.

A few seconds later, video allegedly shows deputies tossing the father over a bush, then hitting his son with a baton.

Deputies then appear to use pepper spray, and a taser the son.

The family claims deputies lied about what happened.

"Deputy Shaffer, who arrives last, says that my client was trying to run inside the house, that the baton strikes did nothing to stop him and that he was in fear that my client would go in the house and get a weapon," the family's attorney Michael Carrillo said. "As you can see the baton strikes did have an effect, they dropped him."

Carrillo said the deputies even testified at a court hearing that Arevalo and his father were threatening them.

The father and son faced charges of rioting and resisting an officer, but Carrillo said the video changed everything.

"They didn't know about the video, they didn't know what was on the video," Carrillo said. "And now we've come to find out that the video completely contradicts these officers. In my opinion, these officers committed perjury."

The charges against the father were dropped, and the case against the son was moving forward until he died suddenly in early October after complaining of chest pains.

Arevalo's mother believes the deputies' actions contributed to his death.

The sheriff's department released the following statement to ABC7 Eyewitness News, "Today, Nov. 4, 2015, the department became aware of the existence and availability of new video footage pertaining to the case that was not previously provided to investigators. The new information will be thoroughly reviewed in conjunction with the existing case to determine if additional investigation is warranted."

The family claims the video proves excessive use of force by deputies and is calling for a federal investigation into the incident.