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Family Claims Cops Used Excessive Force In Teen's Arrest

HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) - A South Florida family is outraged over the arrest of their teenage son.

The parents of Alex Cabrera, 17, claim officers with the Hollywood Police Department used excessive force while taking the teen in to custody.

The Police Department did not have a comment Sunday.

Michelle Surgeon, Cabrera's mother, shared surveillance video with CBS 4 News which she said showed the arrest made on Phippen-Waiter's Road and Dixie Highway in Dania Beach.

"There's a video that someone caught by accident, basically of my son getting the crap kicked out of him by about six police officers," Surgeon said.

The video of her son's arrest is tough for her to watch she said Sunday.

"I had to walk away and cry," Surgeon said of the first time she saw the video. "I couldn't watch the whole thing at first. And then I had to go back and look at it again to see what I was really seeing and how bad it really was."

Surgeon said the arrest was caught by surveillance cameras at the home directly in front of where the incident took place.

Angel Cruz lives at that home.

"I saw a young man being pulled out of the vehicle," Cruz said. "Didn't at any time resist anything. He didn't have a chance to resist. He was basically thrown on his face from the time they pulled him out of his car. He was cuffed. He was subdued right away."

A Hollywood Police spokesperson confirmed Sunday officers pursued Cabrera from Hollywood to Dania Beach on August 14th.

The Police Department has not commented on the video.

"From what I heard, he was driving his girlfriend's vehicle without his license and got pulled over and was scared to stop," Surgeon said. "From what I understand, they were saying the car was not registered to him or thought it was stolen that's why they pulled him over."

Surgeon said her son has never had a license, but that he does pay for the black Impala he was driving that day. She said the car is registered to the teen's girlfriend.

The teen was pulled from the front seat of the car and surrounded by cops, Surgeon said. She referenced the video which she said showed an officer kneeing her son several times, including twice after he's already handcuffed.

"I feel that was wrong totally," Cruz said. "The excessive amount of force. It was abuse in my opinion."

Cabrera is currently at the Broward County Juvenile Detention Center where his mother said he'll likely be for the next two weeks.

He's charged with battery on an officer, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

Cabrera was arrested previously in 2010, but the charges were dropped and the case was dismissed.

"You make a mistake and I understand that you get in trouble," Surgeon said. "But to that extent? What if there wasn't a video and we didn't know what really happened?"

The family has contacted an attorney and plans to file a formal complaint with the Hollywood Police Department.

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