TROLLEY BEATING IN LA MESA NOT THE FIRST ALLEGATION OF ABUSE BY TROLLEY SECURITY; RACIAL PROFILING ALSO ALLEGED IN PAST

By Miriam Raftery

August  22, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Surveillance video of two Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS) security officers brutally beating a passenger in La Mesa has prompted suspension of the officers and a police investigation, as ECM reported.  But now an ECM investigation reveals that it may be only the tip of an iceberg.

A Facebook page titled “Stop MTS Harassment and Brutality!” with the logo shown at left was launched back on March 3, 2014 by Bertha Guttierez of Chula Vista.  Posts and links at the site reveal at least three additional excessive use of force cases involving MTS security officers, two of them also involving victims who alleged racial profiling , racial slurs and taunts by the officers.

MTS and La Mesa Police have not yet revealed the race of the man beaten by MTS officers in La Mesa earlier this week, nor the races of the two MTS officers involved.

The Facepage on MTS brutality allegations states, “This is a call-out for all people who have been racially profiled, bullied, harassed, assaulted or beaten up while riding, waiting or near the MTS Trolley by MTS officers. We as a community feel that this type of behavior is completely unacceptable and will not tolerate this abuse. Please feel free to contact us directly. Bertha Gutierrez 619-646-4611.”

The site links to a post by Emmanual Wimer,  a City College student who alleged that on February 23^rd, he was “brutally beaten, tortured, and mangled by an MTS officer while other MTS officers assisted.” The incident occurred near the San Ysidro trolley stop. Wimer says the MTS officers punched, kicked,kneed and handcuffed him after he asked that police be called, then mocked the indigenous student and told him to “go cross the border and get the Mexican Police,” Bystanders ultimately called police—but they arrested Wimer for assault “because the MTS officers had to cover up their hate crime,” he wrote.  Charges against Wimer were later dropped, City Times reported, and Wimer said he planned to file a complaint against MTS.

Back in September 2013, a witness provided a cell phone video to media showing MTS officers using force to subdue an Iraq War veteran in Otay Mesa. Christian Thompson had a therapy dog that officers claimed acted aggressively.  A witness said the dog was not aggressive but that officers used a Taser on Thompson after he answered questions sarcastically.  He was charged with disorderly conduct and pleaded not guilty. View video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSMMis6fl00&feature=youtu.be

In yet another incident, a man and his wife, both Mexican, filed a federal Civil Rights lawsuit against MTS over a beating by MTS security officers that resulted in a fractured wrist.  The couple was accused of riding the trolley without tickets, 10 News reported last November. The victim told 10 news the officers began to beat him after he took out a cell phone to record racial slurs that he says they made.

MTS has a policy of not commenting on pending litigation or investigations.