Attorney For Moore Police Officer Shares New Details On In-Custody Death

New details were revealed Wednesday night on a key piece of evidence involving a metro man who died in police custody. News 9 showed cell phone video of part of the incident. Now, we're learning what's in a second video that shows the entire thing.

Wednesday, February 26th 2014, 11:09 pm

By: News 9


New details were revealed Wednesday night on a key piece of evidence involving a metro man who died in police custody. News 9 showed cell phone video of part of the incident. Now, we're learning what's in a second video that shows the entire thing.

Luis Rodriguez died Feb. 15 after a family fight in the parking lot of the Warren Theater in Moore. His wife took cell phone video of some of the police involvement and now the attorney for one of the Moore officers explains what he saw in the theater's surveillance video.

"We have nothing to hide," said attorney Scott Adams.

Adams is representing Moore Police Officer Ryan Minnard. Adams says he watched the surveillance video with Moore Police's Internal Affairs Division when they interviewed Minnard.

"Officer Minnard walks up, says, ‘Hey we are investigating a crime here, need your identification.' Subject refuses, starts to take off, gets into a fighting stance," said Adams.

2/26/2014 Related Story: Attorney Wants Warren Surveillance Footage Of In-Custody Death

The subject is Luis Rodriguez, whose wife had just slapped their daughter during a fight. News 9 asked Adams to explain the "fighting stance" Rodriguez allegedly took.

"He took this, I'd say, a step back and got into a stance that was an aggressive stance," said Adams. "Officer Minnard grabs his left hand to take it back behind his back. When he does, the individual shrugs and throws him down to the ground. He pulls him with him and they go to the ground."

Adams says pepper spray was used as officers struggled to handcuff Rodriguez.

2/25/2014 Related Story: Cell Phone Video Released In Moore In-Custody Death Case

"There's no beating at all and I think that needs to be made clear is that during both the videos, and you can watch them both. There is not any kind of a beating."

Adams says officers are trained to take suspects to the ground this way and even the knee on the back is a textbook move to gain control.

"I hate it for the Rodriguez's. It was a very tragic event, but you know things happen whenever you resist from the police like that on lawful commands."

The attorney for Luis Rodriguez's family says he has asked to see the Warren Theater video, but the theater and Moore Police have not made that happen.

2/15/2014 Related Story: Family Says Moore Police Beat Father To Death

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