Man beaten by Las Cruces Police speaks about developing PTSD since attack

The Las Cruces man beaten while in Las Cruces Police custody is speaking to ABC-7.

Ross Flynn is now suing the Las Cruces Police Department for $12.5 million after what happened in a holding cell in the headquarters building on Dec. 23. The two officers involved, Richard Garcia and Danny Salcido were fired Monday.

The security camera footage shows Flynn kicking the door, and an officer steps up to speak to him. Officers suddenly entered the cell, grabbing Flynn and forcing him down, hitting him with their knees and throwing him against the wall and then the ground.

“One of the officers entered and grabbed my by my right arm. I started to lose my balance a little bit. That’s when they drove me into the cement block wall. Two of them took me and spun me into a 100 degree arch. I was in waist chains. I stopped 240 pounds with my face,” Flynn said.

Flynn was being held as a suspect in a dispute with a neighbor involving a weapon, and was handcuffed around the waist with his hands in front. He had been complaining since being arrested about the handcuffs which hurt his back. Flynn is legally handicapped, with neck and back issues that make even walking hard. He said the officers put him in waist chains, but the short length caused him to have to bend over, also hurting his back. After kicking the door to get their attention, and yelling a curse word, the officers attacked him.

The medical records show Flynn had a fractured skull around the eye, brain hemorrhaging, a cracked cheekbone and a cracked rib. And his attorney Jeff Lahann said that the officers went way beyond what was necessary in this case.

Since the attack, Flynn has healed physically, but not emotionally. He says he lives in fear of the police. Flynn said he now has post traumatic stress and just the sight of Las Cruces Police officers or their vehicles send him into panic attacks on a daily basis.

“The whole thing has been really painful,” Flynn said. “I used to have a lot of respect for local police no matter where I was. In this case I feel I was ambushed. All my rights were violated. I was beaten while in restraints. The general attitude in the community are that the LCPD are a little bit vicious. I’d like to see more training.”

Police ultimately charged Flynn with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the incident involving his neighbor. They also charged him with two counts each of resisting, evading and obstructing an officer.

Lahann said that beyond the $12.5 million civil suit, he’s also asked for a criminal investigation, which the Dona Ana County district attorney is currently investigating.

According to the statements of officers, Flynn “hit the wall with his head then fell to the ground” and the knee-strikes were to prevent him from “attempting to grab a hold of us or of our equipment.”

As for the LCPD, spokesman Dan Trujillo said that they can’t comment on any lawsuits facing the department. A decision on the criminal investigation is expected to come down this month.