Nandi Cain Jr. was the target of a Sacramento police officer’s blows on Monday (April 11), when the latter attempted to detain Cain for allegedly jaywalking. According to NBC News, Cain was seen crossing a street when the unnamed law enforcement official approached him.
After a few words were exchanged, a physical match ensued where the officer used force to pin Cain to the pavement. The cop then administered several blows to Cain’s head before six officers were called for backup.
“It was supposedly for jaywalking. And then, when they put me in handcuffs and they were driving off, I heard them (talk) about they were going to get me for resisting arrest,” Cain said in a statement. “But as you can see on the video clearly, I didn’t resist at all.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/widget/video-embed/919255107870
The SPD published a statement on the incident, writing, “For an unknown reason, the officer threw the pedestrian to the ground and began striking him in the face with his hand multiple times.” The memo continues, “The videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento Police Officer.” An investigation on the matter is currently underway.
For Cain, images of those slain due to police violence or racism flashed through his mind during his detainment. “I thought I was going to be like the next Trayvon Martin,” he said. “I felt like they were going to draw a gun out and shoot me in my back or try to break my arms off or something.”
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After charging Cain with resisting arrest, the accusation was later dropped by the Sacramento Police Department.