Fermin Martinez and his companion Sylvia run the Los Polomos taco stand, they usually say thrice in a single night time, Los Angeles County well being inspectors got here to harass them for working their enterprise with out a allow.
And Martinez believes his stand was focused Saturday.
The LA County Public Well being Division issued a press release saying the taco stand was in violation of state well being and security code and that one in every of their inspectors was assaulted, which led to police intervention.
“The county official was kicked, and our officer was kicked as effectively, after they tried to take the suspect into custody,” El Monte Police Chief David Reynosos stated.
Reynoso says the division is investigating and watching body-worn cameras and social media posts, with Saturday’s confrontation doubtlessly resulting in prices towards the taco stand house owners, which the chief says reached for an officer’s weapon.
“Shortly after, the identical suspect grabbed the officer’s tazer and tried to take it from the officer,” Reynosos stated.
Martinez says that’s not an correct account of what occurred in any respect.
The taco stand proprietor says when he was thrown to the bottom, he thought police would kill him. From his personal mobile phone video, his arm might be seen outstretched in direction of the officer’s belt and the strikes it took to get Martinez to again down.
His companion, Sylvia, says she tried to interrupt up the scuffle, injured herself within the melee. Now, she’s afraid to return to work.
I am afraid of the police, she stated.
The house owners say they perceive they’re working with out a allow, however they are saying that’s not going to cease them. They plan to be again once more promoting meals Monday night time, as a result of in the event that they don’t, they are saying they received’t be capable to pay the hire.