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Webster Police Release Body-Cam Video, Defend Force Used in Violent Arrest of Teen

Police say calls about juveniles with apparent guns preceded the struggle.

Overview

  • Newly released footage shows officers wrestling, punching, and using a stun gun on a shirtless 17-year-old during a Saturday arrest in Webster, Massachusetts.
  • The teen, identified as Japhet Villanueva, alleges excessive force and says his teeth were broken and his face was beaten.
  • Police report responding to earlier calls about youths displaying what looked like rifles, a car window shot out, and an altercation nearby, later recovering two BB guns close to the arrest site.
  • The department says the suspect reached for an officer’s duty belt and resisted; one officer suffered a broken hand and a sergeant had minor injuries.
  • Villanueva faces charges including assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest, and he and another juvenile were released to their parents after medical evaluation.