The violent altercation occurred on September 1 at the state’s Sarasota County Juvenile Assessment Center and was captured entirely on the facility’s surveillance system.
Footage initially shows 17-year-old Terrance Devon Reed III sitting down on a bench with his arms tucked inside his shirt before Sarasota County Deputy Neil Pizzo comes charging toward the minor.
At the time, Reed had been inside a processing room at the juvenile center after being arrested and charged with contempt of court, probation violations and cocaine possession.
Video shows Pizzo instantly using his left hand to grab onto Reed’s neck, pushing him against the wall before using his right hand to push the minor toward the ground.
Within moments of the initial contact, Pizzo then drags Reed to the opposite side of the room and begins to repeatedly strike him in the head as a second officer walks into the room and yanks Reed’s legs, presumably in an effort to position the teen onto his side or stomach.
While Pizzo eventually places Reed in handcuffs, an additional four officers are seen coming onto the scene before he’s taken out of the room in which the confrontation took place.
A second angle captured by the facility’s security system shows that Reed’s shirt is ripped off after Pizzo pushes him to the opposite side of the room. Pizzo is clearly seen striking Reed in the back of the head multiple times before even attempting to place the teen in restraints.
A third and final clip shows Reed being placed into a holding room as Pizzo and four other officers stand nearby. The brief interaction appears to show Pizzo and Reed exchanging words.
Citing the sheriff’s office report, the Associated Press reported that Reed was later hospitalized after suffering abrasions to his head. As for Pizzo, he claimed in the report that he opted to use force against Reed because the teenager had threatened to kill him and had taken a so-called fighting stance when the deputy approached him.
It’s worth noting video shows that Reed only removed his arms from under his shirt when he was approached by Pizzo, and he didn’t clearly appear to take any sort of defensive stance.
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight told the AP that he was “disappointed” in the actions he saw in the video, noting that he was concerned about Pizzo not using de-escalation methods.
“If a deputy is trying to de-escalate and you go hands on and you have a confrontation, what did he attempt to do prior to the physical confrontation to prevent it from happening?” Knight said.
At present, Pizzo has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the matter. Knight noted that he does not believe that the altercation was influenced by race.
