Summary

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is defending its deputies after two were accused of excessive force by the man in a video who admitted he was drunk and unruly. The deputies arrested Craig Trevarthen when they were called to the Pebble Creek Apartments early Monday morning, because of a fight. Late Tuesday morning, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office released new video, one they shot, and it sheds a little more light on the struggle a suspect gave moments before they doused him with pepper-spray. Minutes before a photographer captured the violent arrest of 24-year-old Craig Trevarthen, another camera started rolling from a deputy's dashboard, capturing the same scene recorded on a different video but from a new perspective. Trevarthen said deputies used excessive force. "I put my hand where he can see it. He has my hand. He has my hand and my hand is right next to him, like this in front of me, and he still pepper-sprayed me. That's not right at all," Trevarthen said. But in the newly-released tape, according to deputies, Trevarthen turns his head and spit at them and deputies, in turn, struggle to apply handcuffs. Both tapes are now in the hands of a captain charged with reviewing the deputies' use of force. "And, although he is still in the process of officially reviewing the reports, officially reviewing all of the video documentation that has been provided, he has indicated to me that he sees no violation," said Lt. Dennis Lemma, Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Lemma said, in the video, Trevarthen repeatedly ignores commands to roll over. He said the deputies did what they needed to put Trevarthen in handcuffs and, in doing so, protect themselves. "The bottom line is, the deputy sheriffs that are out there working need to assure their own safety so they can facilitate and ensure the safety of others," Lemma said. Once the captain is done with his review of the arrest, the evidence will be presented to a major for a final check. The same process takes place every time force is used during an arrest. No one has filed a formal complaint about the arrest. Now, if someone does, there will be an additional investigation. Trevarthan was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer with violence. -----------------------------------------------SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is reviewing video of deputies taking down a suspect. The deputies arrested Craig Trevarthen when they were called to the Pebble Creek Apartments early Monday morning, because of a fight. People who watched the arrest said deputies used excessive force. The video shows the two deputies wrestling with Trevarthen. Once they got him on the ground, one sprayed him in the face with pepper-spray. Trevarthen admitted he was drunk and loud, and even that he resisted arrest, but he thought the deputies went too far when they pepper-sprayed him while he was already on the ground. "The pepper-spray was too much," Trevarthen said. Deputies were called because Trevarthen was having a loud argument with his girlfriend. They had just come home from a night of drinking. "I had three double gin and tonics and five shots," Trevarthen admitted. It's not on the tape, but Trevarthen said he was walking back to his apartment when one of the deputies called him a chicken. Trevarthen admitted he lost it and confronted the deputy. "At one point in time, the suspect grabbed the deputy's arm, " said Lt. Dennis Lemma of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Lt. Lemma said Trevarthen was an intoxicated person showing different levels of aggression. He also said that Deputy Thomas Bronson pepper-sprayed Trevarthen because he wouldn't give up his hand and was a serious threat. "We train our staff and our deputy sheriffs to be cautious of every situation, and when you throw into the mix an alcohol-induced or a possibly drug- or alcohol-induced state, that even adds more dynamics to the particular problem," Lemma said. Lt. Lemma said the deputies did nothing wrong. Still, Trevarthen claimed he had his hand where the deputy could see it. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is reviewing the case like they do any time pepper-spray is used. The sheriff's office also has dash camera video, which could be released Tuesday. Trevarthen hasn't filed a formal complaint, but said he is considering it.