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It was the longest suspension of an officer in Garland Police history. But the man who that officer was caught on video beating says it’s still not enough. Surveillance video from the Garland Detention Center and obtained by CBS11 News shows Officer Donald Fernandez delivering blows to the head and a knee to the face of Noah Lofquist after removing the suspect’s handcuffs.
“It kind of seemed a little surreal at the time,” says Lofquist.
The 37-year-old suspect admits to mouthing off at the officer after he was arrested at a hotel.
“On the way to the jail I was kind of taunting the officer little bit,” says Lofquist.
Lofquist says while he was intoxicated, he even challenged the officer to a fight, if his handcuffs were off. But when they arrived at the jail, the officer had apparently heard enough and when he removed the cuffs, he went after Lofquist.
“I was sober enough at that point to know not to do anything because I didn’t want my situation to get any worse,” says Lofquist.
In the internal affairs investigation that followed, Fernandez and his partner were recorded saying to each other: “I got him solid,” and “Yea I (expletive) clocked his ass good didn’t I?”
Fernandez received a 56 day suspension, the longest the department can remember giving any officer. But Lofquist thought he deserved criminal charges.