Las Vegas Strip arrest video from 2013 resurfaces, goes viral

A video from six years ago that shows a pair of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers apprehending a man for selling water on the Strip resurfaced and went viral recently.

The incident appears to be on a pedestrian walkway near the Aria. Several people are heard on the video criticizing the officers’ actions. The suspect can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe” several times.

Watch the video below. (Warning: Explicit language)

“The LVMPD PIO has received a number of requests reference a video circulating on social media of a water seller being taken into custody,” said a statement released Monday by Metro.

‘The video is from an incident in July 2013 which was fully investigated by LVMPD Internal Affairs. The investigation showed no policy violations occurred. In addition a lawsuit filed by the individual in the video was dismissed by the courts.

“Please note per Clark County Code 6.04.130 it is illegal to sell any merchandise, goods, items, wares or services on any portion of a public right-of-way. The officers involved in this incident were conducting a lawful investigation of an individual selling items on a portion of a public right-of way.”

The arrest occured a year before the chokehold death of Eric Garner, a black man selling cigarettes, by New York Police Department Officer Daniel Pantaleo. Garner’s dying words — “I can’t breathe” — became a national rallying cry against police brutality.

On July 16, federal prosecutors announced that they wouldn’t bring criminal charges againts Pantaleo.

The Metro release did not identify the suspect in the video.

Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on Twitter.