Family: Police used excessive force at baptism party

A Manassas area family claims a language barrier led to a grandfather and mother being zapped by officers with stun guns this weekend, but Prince William County police say that’s not the case.

Police were called to a home on Lafayette Avenue about 8 p.m. Sunday for a report of a noisy party. Delmy Ramos, who lives at the house with her children and husband, Edgar Rodriguez, said family members were celebrating the baptisms of two toddlers.

According to police, Rodriguez became aggressive and refused to turn the music down, even after officers explained the county’s noise ordinance.

When Rodriguez refused to identify himself to police, he was placed under arrest, Prince William police spokeswoman Erika Hernandez stated in a press release.

But then, Hernandez said, a large group of people at the party approached the two arresting officers, prompting them to call for backup.

Part of that group was a woman who the family described as a friend. Officers used their Taser weapons on both Rodriguez and the woman, and placed them under arrest, Hernandez said.

Rodriguez was charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, she said. The woman, 25-year-old Leticia Elias, was charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.

The family told Fox 5 News that Elias is a pregnant mother of two. But Prince William police 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn said “there is no evidence she is pregnant.”

Rodriguez’s son told Fox 5 that his father requested an officer who spoke Spanish, because he did not understand the first officer’s instructions. Chinn said the first arriving officer on the scene was Hispanic and spoke fluent Spanish.

“There was no language barrier,” she said.

Late Wednesday afternoon Prince William police Chief Charlie T. Deane ordered an internal investigation into the use of force at the home, and into the allegations Rodriguez and his family have made to the media.

After interviewing witnesses, Chinn said “information obtained during the internal investigation disputes some of the claims made by Mr. Rodriguez to the media.”

Police say the family has not made a complaint to the police department.

Rodriquez was released on a $2,500 bond. Elias is still being held on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 28.

Ramos claimed Elias is still being detained because officials are looking into her immigration status.

Hernandez said police did not check Elias’ immigration status when she was arrested, but she declined to say if it was being reviewed, citing an ongoing investigation.

The steps in front of Rodriguez’s home, where Ramos was watching four children on Wednesday afternoon were lined with American flags and a banner hung on the door stated “God bless America.”

“I was cutting the cake and someone came up to me and said ‘Someone has your husband,’ ” said Ramos.

She said she was surprised to see the police officers, and even more surprised when she saw them going for her husband. She claims he was jolted with a stun gun three times — twice in the back near the ribcage and once on his chest — before the officers put handcuffs on him, she said.

A video camera was rolling during the arrests. Some of the footage was used in the Fox 5 story earlier this week.

One family member told the television station an officer told him to stop recording the arrest and forced him to leave the property.

Questions have arisen about the legality of the police charging someone with being drunk in public in their own backyard. Hernandez said that a backyard is considered a public area. Only the interior of a person’s home is considered private.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.