Recorded on cellphone video pulling his gun on a motorcyclist and attacking a former U.S. Marine for videotaping him, a Vallejo police officer has been placed on paid leave following the recent release of the video. In a separate incident caught on cellphone video last year, the same officer aimed his gun at an unarmed man in a public parking lot for arguing with him.
On January 22, former U.S. Marine Adrian Burrell recorded a cellphone video of Vallejo Police Officer David McLaughlin pulling his firearm on Burrell’s cousin who remained seated on his parked motorcycle in the driveway with his hands in the air. According to Burrell, Officer McLaughlin pulled over his cousin because he looked like someone the officer had seen speeding earlier that day.
In the video, McLaughlin approached Burrell’s cousin with his firearm in hand. McLaughlin asked the motorcyclist, “Why you taking off like that?”
As McLaughlin noticed Burrell recording him on his cellphone, the officer ordered him to get back. Due to the fact that Burrell was on his private property and not actively interfering with the officer, he refused to leave.
While detaining Burrell, McLaughlin ordered him to stop resisting. Burrell adamantly refuted that he was not resisting before his cellphone fell to the ground. According to Burrell, McLaughlin smashed his face against a wall and swung his body around, causing his head to hit a wooden pillar.
Although Burrell sustained a concussion and was detained in the back of a patrol car, McLaughlin later released him after learning that Burrell was a former Marine.
In August 2018, McLaughlin was recorded in a separate incident pulling his gun on an unarmed civilian and assaulting him for no justifiable reason. Recorded on another cellphone video, McLaughlin was off-duty when he participated in a verbal altercation with an unarmed civilian named Santiago Hutchins.
According to the video, McLaughlin aimed his gun at Hutchins for no apparent reason as they stood in a public parking lot. Although Hutchins did not appear to resist, McLaughlin repeatedly struck him in the back of the head with his elbows and fists as other officers restrained him.
Despite the fact that Hutchins was initially arrested, the charges against him were dropped.
Vallejo police have begun an internal affairs investigation, and placed McLaughlin on paid leave Monday. Burrell’s attorney, John Burris, reportedly plans to serve a lawsuit against McLaughlin and other entities in the following days.
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