CA: Rough arrest of a street vendor caught on camera

Video of a woman being arrested in California for selling flowers to people in cars stuck in traffic is causing controversy.

Some people think the officer was too rough. Others say she got what she deserved.

The video of a Perris police officer arresting a woman selling flowers without a permit in June is getting spread around social media, and it has many people talking.

One Helena resident said “that is wrong, they should never do that, no.”

Another resident, identified as Fred, added: “Just like the guy that got up on the airplane, same stuff, same people, same…yeah”

The video was taken during the Perris High School graduation ceremony.

A witness who didn’t want to go on camera says several street vendors were walking into traffic to sell flowers and Hawaiian style leis, which is why police started citing them for not having permits.

The witness says woman in the video is the only one who resisted, trying to leave several times.

Police released a statement about the arrest of Juanita Mendez Medrano, saying in part: “Unfortunately, the video did not capture the other vendors cooperating with the citation process, nor did it capture our officer’s repeated efforts to convince Ms. Mendez-Medrano to do the same.”

Some say officers have a tough job, and people shouldn’t second guess their decisions.

“If you’re not going to cooperate with police, you’re going to get what you get, you know?” said resident Randy Clark. “I mean, to me, it’s like hey, I was raised you obey what the police say and you do it.”

But others say this amount of force isn’t right.

“Not to deserve to that,” said Fred. “I don’t care what you do with it. They’re 17 cops. They’re all 200 pounds. They can’t handle one person.”

That seems to be what the woman is heard saying in the video in Spanish.

A translation: “Why do you do this to us? We’re living our life. why do you get me like that?”

Police say that before the video started, Mendez-Medrano gave them several fake names and pushed an officer.

She is scheduled to appear in court August 25.