Man arrested after taped altercation with police officer outside Santa Rosa DMV

A 20-year-old man was arrested in an altercation with a police officer outside the Santa Rosa Department of Motor Vehicles that was recorded by a crowd of people wielding cellphone cameras, police said Thursday.

The incident happened about 2:35 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the Corby Avenue DMV, Sgt. Eric Litchfield said.

An officer dispatched to a report of a large fight arrived to find Jorge Leopold Jr. standing over another male and punching him, Litchfield said.

Leopold stopped punching the man and the man ran off, but Leopold remained behind and appeared agitated, Litchfield said.

A confrontation with the officer ensued when Leopold refused the officer’s commands to sit down and pulled an object later identified as a cellphone from his pocket, Litchfield said.

The officer struck Leopold several times with a baton and tried to take him into custody using control holds, but was unable to detain him, Litchfield said.

Some people in the crowd yelled to Leopold to cooperate, Litchfield said.

When another officer arrived, Leopold got on the ground but was shocked with a Taser when he resisted efforts to put him in handcuffs, Litchfield said.

Leopold was booked on charges of resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.

At least one person shared a video with investigators, Litchfield said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.