Body-camera videos shows Antioch Police arrest cited in fed indictment
By: Body-camera videos show the arrest of a woman by Antioch police, an incident cited in wide-ranging federal indictments alleging misconduct.
"Less lethal! Less lethal!" yells Antioch police Officer Devon Wenger shortly before he shot and wounded Dajon Smith with a .40-millimeter "less lethal" projectile outside an Antioch market in October 2021.
Officers surrounded Smith and got her out of a stolen Maserati Ghibli, ordering her to get out of the car and get on the ground.
"Why are you doing this to me? Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hey!" Smith yelled shortly before a police K-9 bit her on the arm.
"He's biting me! The dog! The dog is biting me!" Smith screamed.
The officers blamed Smith for what happened, telling her, "You did this to yourself!"
"I did this to myself? For real? You did all of this," Smith responded.
"All you had to do was comply," an officer said.
Wenger has been indicted by a federal grand jury with violating Smith's rights.
Later on the day of the incident, K-9 Officer Morteza Amiri - who had not been at the scene - texted Wenger, "I wanna see your body cam of this! Good work," according to the indictment.
Wenger responded, "Haha, thanks bro."
Amiri then texted, "Make some arrests, then 40 someone today?? Who the f- are you? I love this, Wenger," the indictment read.
Wenger responded "#newyear new me" and "just trying to get on swat bro!"
"The treatment of Dajon Smith by Antioch PD is brutal, it's criminal, it's inhumane," said Contra Costa County Public Defender Ellen McDonnell, whose office represented Smith after she was initially charged with auto theft. That charge was later dismissed.
"Every resident of Antioch deserves to be protected from these officers, and everyone involved in this horrendous incident should be held accountable," McDonnell said.
Wenger was also indicted by the federal grand jury on charges of distributing steroids.
He and Amiri are among nine current or former Antioch or Pittsburg officers indicted in federal court.