Teen Seeks $500K After Phoenix Police Inform His Dad to ‘Beat Him, Belt Him’: Bodycam Footage & Docs

The incident went down in January 2024, when authorities had been referred to as to the house of Sergio Nino and his then-16-year-old son, additionally named Sergio. Mr. Nino claimed his son had been performing up at dwelling, utilizing medication and lacking college — resulting in a confrontation the place the daddy tried to take away his son’s bed room door.

In the course of the alleged altercation, Mr. Nino claimed he fell on high of his son and a few form of scuffle occurred over the teenager’s cellular phone. The dad stated he then referred to as police, claiming his son spat at him and swatted at him throughout the incident, earlier than telling officers that his daughter — who witnessed the incident — was taking his son’s “facet.”

Per the daddy, the teenager has had psychological well being points and been in remedy facilities prior to now, whereas including he is referred to as police on him quite a few instances prior to now.

After Mr. Nino provides responding officers his facet of the story, police worn bodycam footage launched to FOX 10 Phoenix exhibits the daddy saying that an officer from a earlier incident informed him to “bodily self-discipline” his son.

After the daddy says he “cannot” try this as a result of he’ll “go to jail,” an officer on the scene tells him, “No, you do not.”

“I haven’t got management of my very own home,” Mr. Nino continues, saying he is been making an attempt to get his son on some form of maintain or in juvenile detention. Officers on the scene counsel emancipating him, placing him in a bunch dwelling, or to punish him by stopping funds on the teenager’s cellular phone and automotive.

“We don’t mother or father folks. That is your job. If you’ll want to bodily self-discipline him, you bodily self-discipline him,” an officer tells him. “You drag him, you hit him; he solely has rights from the federal government. He has no rights from you. In case you want to beat him, you may beat him. You want to belt him, belt him.”

“They will name youngster providers, but when they see you are disciplining him, they’re going to throw it within the shredder,” the officer provides. “If he is gonna deal with you want rubbish, you gotta deal with him like rubbish. Throw him out on the road.”

The officer then suggests eradicating the teenager’s bed room door, earlier than taking all the things away from him. “He shouldn’t be working this home,” says the officer, earlier than the daddy asks the cops to talk with the teenager.

The teenager Sergio says his father “tackled” him — earlier than an officer says, “He can try this. He isn’t abusing you. He is making an attempt to self-discipline you since you’re performing like a little bit brat.”

“Your dad ought to beat you. Apart from sending you to the hospital, your dad ought to beat you. As a child, it’s a must to take it,” the officer continues. “You haven’t any rights. You are treating him like rubbish. Do you pay on your automotive? Home? Telephone?”

The son pushes again, figuratively, asking whether or not the officer has “been right here to see the entire scenario,” earlier than asking them to not contact him. The officers reply, saying they’ll put him in handcuffs for “being a little bit brat” and for his father’s declare of alleged assault.

The scenario begins to spiral a bit uncontrolled as the teenager’s sister tries defending her brother, earlier than being informed to go to her room. A screaming match ensures, earlier than the officer makes an attempt to take the son’s cellphone — which Sergio claims was his personal property — as the teenager takes it out to movie the interplay.

A scuffle ensues, earlier than the youthful Sergio is seen pinned to the bottom with a pool of blood seen on the ground in entrance of his face, and blood on his face. All of the whereas, he is screaming about allegedly being in ache and saying his restraints are “too tight.”

He continues to yell in regards to the restraints as he is taken exterior, whereas being informed he is being introduced in for aggravated assault after he “lunged” on the officer. He maintains he was solely making an attempt to seize his cellphone.

“Cease crying. I do not want a warrant,” one officer tells him, earlier than one other shouts, “It is not yours, it is your dad’s. It is how that works!”

Because the officers and the teenager are exterior, Sergio tells them, “I am going to get some cash, too.” One replies, “Yeah, large zero,” earlier than they begin wiping blood off their uniforms.

“You contact us, meaning you go to the hospital and also you go to jail,” the teenager is informed, as he continues to say he is dropping circulation in his wrists, whereas officers assert that he is not.

Of the teenager’s father, one officer says, “He is scared to lose his job to hit you, which he ought to have been doing for a very long time.” The teenager, nevertheless, responds by saying they “actually do not perceive” the scenario, claiming he has been abused prior to now by his late mom and witnessed his father abusing her as nicely.

“So that you determined to be a little bit brat?” the officer asks, earlier than the footage involves an finish quickly after.

Whereas the teenager, who’s now 18, hasn’t sued the Metropolis of Phoenix or the three officers, his legal professionals did file a discover of declare towards them. In it, they ask for a $500,000 settlement. “If the Metropolis doesn’t resolve the declare, a federal lawsuit will probably be filed towards the Metropolis of Phoenix and the concerned officers,” his legal professional informed 12 Information in an announcement.

Per the declare, the youthful Sergio allegedly suffered a 3-centimeter laceration to his face throughout the incident, in addition to a fractured wrist, which required surgical procedure.

The declare alleges the teenager “could also be left with everlasting facial scarring,” including that, “Sergio’s wrist damage has hindered Sergio’s skill to have interaction in every day actions, resembling writing, figuring out, and enjoying video video games.”

“To today, Sergio’s every day life has been restricted by his wrist damage. Sergio continues to endure from the accidents, the medical bills, and their impression on his life,” say his legal professionals, who argue that “there was no imminent risk” to the officers “once they used extreme drive on Sergio. Additionally they claimed there was no lunge towards the police, which the officers stated precipitated the aggressive takedown and handcuffing.

“The officers’ extreme drive, and their deliberate indifference to his accidents brought on by that drive, had been objectively unreasonable,” they added.

A spokesperson for the police division informed ABC 15 that the incident is pending litigation, whereas sources informed the outlet the incident was positioned below evaluation.