Eyewitnesses Call Cocoa Beach Arrest Police Brutality

WFTV
Jul. 20, 2006

COCOA BEACH, Fla. -- A man said Cocoa Beach police went too far during his arrest. He and some eyewitnesses call it a case of police brutality.

Eyewitnesses recorded a video showing Chris Culleny with a stun gun being used on him near the Minutemen Causeway.

Culleny said police thought they were breaking up a fight, but he and friends were just wrestling.

The officers said Culleny refused to obey verbal commands so they used pepper-spray.

“There's no way I could have been resisting because I was already sprayed with mace. I had my arm behind my back, his knee was on my head and my face was in the sand,” said Culleny of the incident.

Cocoa Beach police did not comment on camera, and refused to view the video tape, but said they would launch an internal investigation if an official complaint is filed.

A major with the department said the use of force was justified, pointing out that the tape does not capture the entire incident.

Eyewitness News did look into Culleny's background and he's been in trouble before. In 2003, he was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer. In 2004, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. This time around, he was charged with resisting without violence and disorderly intoxication.