White Reading police officer appears to hurl insults at people of color while making an arrest

A three-minute witness video posted to YouTube on Monday shows a police officer sitting on a burglary suspect’s waist with his arms pinned behind his back.

• By Anthony Orozco/WITF and Tyler Pratt/WLVR

(Reading) — Police in Reading are investigating an incident where a white officer appears to hurl insults at people of color while making an arrest.

A three-minute witness video posted to YouTube on Monday shows a police officer sitting on a burglary suspect’s waist with his arms pinned behind his back. As the suspect, who is a person of color, appears to cry out in pain, the officer tells witnesses he has to restrain the man to stop him from running away.

“He tried to run, ma’am,” the arresting officer said to the woman filming the video as he continued to sit on the restrained man’s waist while another officer held the man’s feet. “Get back, please.”

“You can’t just put him in the car?” asked a bystander.

“You don’t have to get on him like that,” said someone else.

“I would if he would comply. He’s not. This is the only way I can hold him down so he doesn’t get hurt,” the arresting officer said while the man yells in pain. “I know it’s uncomfortable…..but he’s going to run away.”

Another officer walks toward bystanders and yells, “Shut up and get out of here.” He continues to approach the people who are watching. “Get out of here or you’re going. Do you want to go?”

The officer touches his body camera, to which bystanders react by accusing him of turning the camera off.

Some people yell explicit language at the white officers. One woman calls an officer a racial epithet. The officer then calls her “ghetto girl” and then yells for her “to go back to the ghetto.”

Reading Mayor Eddie Moran said in a statement that a patrol officer’s conduct appeared to be “contrary” to the department’s goals for positive community engagement. Moran said the Police Office of Professional Standards is investigating and reviewing body camera footage.

Police Chief Richard Tornielli declined to comment on the incident Tuesday afternoon.

Reading’s Fraternal Order of Police also released a statement saying they take allegations of misconduct seriously and are assisting the city’s investigation of the incident.

The man who was arrested is 20-year-old Yonathan Marte-Nunez according to court documents. He is charged with criminal trespassing, burglary and escape. He was also wanted for burglary before Monday’s incident.

Situation escalated when Marte-Nunez tried to flee from police in handcuffs, which allegedly caused another officer to fall, creating an open wound on that officer’s head.

Marte-Nunez is in Berks County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. Keichmary Santos-Cortes was released from custody after posting $15,000 bail and faces burglary and trespassing charges.