On Friday, Teodulo Sanchez was driving home when he noticed that he was being trailed by police. A little while later, he was pulled over by officers from the Buckeye, Arizona Police Department.
During the course of the 20 minute stop, the cop who approached his car not only allegedly threatened to kill him, but stuck a gun in his face, Sanchez told Buzzfeed News. Sanchez recorded part of his encounter and the video was posted to Facebook by immigrant rights activist Erika Andiola. It records 1:15 minutes of a traffic stop that lasted 20 minutes.
The website Latino Rebels translated part of the conversation recorded in the video (the officer is Latino and switched to Spanish during the stop):
OFFICER: Put your hands where I can see them. Hands up, right here. Turn the car off. What’s your name?
MAN: [Inaubible].. Sánchez
OFFICER: No?
MAN: [Inaubible].. Sánchez
OFFICER: Let me see the keys. Weapons? You have weapons?
MAN: No.
OFFICER: No weapons in the car? Keep your hands where I can see them. Don’t move.
MAN: What happened?
OFFICER: Do you have a license?
MAN: Yes, sir.
OFFICER: Show me the license right now. If you do something, I will kill you right here. Do you understand me?
MAN: [Spanish here is a bit inaudible] Yes, I am recording you too.
OFFICER: Put your hands up here. You don’t have weapons in the car? Are you sure? Are there any in the car?
MAN: No, if you like, I can get out of the car.
OFFICER: What’s here then?
MAN: I come to work. These are my tools.
OFFICER: Just tools? Are you sure?
MAN: Am sure.
OFFICER: Ok. Don’t get out of the car. Stay there. If you move, I will shoot you right here. Do you understand me?
MAN: Yes. Do you want to check my ID (inaudible)?
OFFICER: Where are you coming from?
In a press release, the Buckeye Police Department claimed that Sanchez had been making "furtive movements" and denied his claim that the officer had pointed a gun at him. Sanchez confirmed to Buzzfeed News that he had feared for his life.
“He kept telling me not to move my hands, he was really aggressive, there was no reason to put his gun in my face,” Sanchez told BuzzFeed News.
“I thought he was going to kill me, he was really upset.”
Raw Story reports that on Monday the Buckeye's police chief met with Sánchez, his wife, and son, and promised to investigate the incident.
Sanchez is currently in the midst of deportation proceedings.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW: