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Bodycam footage provided by the Phoenix Police Department moments before Officer Blake Willer (right) allegedly pushed Sergio Nino (left) to the ground (KNXV).
An Arizona teenager intends to sue the Phoenix Police Department after he claims officers assaulted him and encouraged his father to abuse him.
A notice of claim was filed on Feb. 25 by Larry Wulkan, an attorney representing 18-year-old Sergio Nino, against the City of Phoenix and three police officers: Officers Kristofer Gries, Blake Willer, and Matthew Smith seeking a settlement of $500,000. In the claim, Wulkan states that the officers were called to the house on Jan. 23, 2024, when Nino’s father called them, not knowing how to handle his then-16-year-old son who was reportedly “acting out.” In the body camera footage, the officers can be heard telling the father “If you wish to beat him, beat him. If you wish to belt him, belt him.”
More of the exchange can be seen in body camera footage provided to Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV. The footage begins with officers speaking to Nino’s father, whose name is also Sergio Nino, and telling him, “You drag him. You hit him. He is a child. He only has rights from the government. He has no rights from you.” The officers further explained that this gave Nino’s father the right to “hit him,” and “if you wish to beat him, beat him. If you wish to belt him, belt him.” They added, “If he’s gonna treat you like garbage, you treat him like garbage. Throw him out on the streets.”
When Nino’s father seemingly showed some hesitancy about physically abusing his son, an officer can be heard saying, “They can call child services but if they see you’re disciplining him, they’ll throw it in the shredder.”
Nino’s father then asks the officers to speak to his son and walks them over to Nino’s room. Nino comes out and initially tries to walk away, but is asked to stay and speak to the officers. Nino told the officers that his dad abused him, but was dismissed and told that his father can “do whatever he wants.” Officer Willer then said to Nino, “You have no rights,” adding, “Your dad should beat you.”
At another point, Nino asked the officers, “So, my dad can physically abuse me?” to which they responded, “Yes.” When Nino’s father asked the officers to take his son’s phone, the teenager refused, claiming he paid his own phone bill. The officers threatened to detain him, and when Nino asked why, the officer answered, “because you’re being a little brat.”
Officer Willer attempted to snatch the phone away, and a physical altercation followed. Nino was soon on the ground, face down, and his face was bloody, which can be seen in the body camera footage. The officers handcuffed Nino, who told them “more than 25 times” that the cuffs were too tight. They charged him with aggravated assault, charges that were later dropped.
Nino was brought to a hospital, where he was treated for a broken wrist and a laceration to his face that required five stitches. He also underwent surgery on his broken wrist.
Wulkan told the outlet, “What is shocking is not only was there no attempt to de-escalate, the opposite happened. The officers ratcheted up the situation. These officers didn’t just fail to protect Nino, they actively encouraged child abuse.”
According to the notice of claim, Nino told the officers that his father was the one who abused him in the household. This claim was confirmed by Nino’s older sister, who was in the house at the time the police were called.
Citing the officers’ “excessive force, and their deliberate indifference to his injuries caused by that force,” Nino’s attorney is seeking a settlement of $500,000 from the City of Phoenix and the three officers. In a statement provided to Law&Crime, Wulkan said, “This is yet another horrifying example of Phoenix Police officers violating the rights of a young person instead of protecting them. Telling a father to beat his son, ignoring mandatory reporting obligations, then violently assaulting that child for asserting his rights is not policing — it’s abuse.”
Law&Crime also reached out to the Phoenix Police Department Public Affairs Bureau but did not hear back immediately. A police source told KNXV that the incident was placed under internal review and was part of an active Professional Standards Bureau investigation. A spokesperson for the department told KNXV that the incident was pending litigation and referred to publicly available records about the incident.
