Moment Pelicans' Jaxson Hayes is arrested by LAPD: Bodycam footage shows NBA player screaming 'I can't breathe' during melee and getting tasered after pushing cop into a wall
Newly released bodycam of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes's arrest shows the 6-foot-11 NBA player repeating that he 'can't breathe'.
Earlier this month, LAPD chief Michael Moore announced the department launched an excessive force investigation to 'assess the incident due to the possibility of force being applied to Hayes' neck.'
On Friday, Los Angeles Police Department released the body camera footage of the arrest. It shows a struggling Hayes repeating, 'I can't breathe,' as he's pinned to the ground outside of his home's front door in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills around 3am on July 28.
The 21-year-old was ultimately booked on a charge of resisting arrest after police responded to a 911 call from a woman claiming to be the cousin of Hayes's girlfriend.
As heard in the 911 call, which was also released on Friday, the woman explains she 'got some disturbing text messages' from her cousin, who wanted police to come to Hayes's home because he was 'getting loud and violent and she's scared.'
Los Angeles Police Department body camera footage from last month's arrest of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes has been released, showing the 6-foot-11 NBA player resisting arrest, using a racial slur, and apparently shoving one officer before being tasered and handcuffed
Earlier this month, LAPD chief Michael Moore announced the department launched an excessive force investigation to 'assess the incident due to the possibility of force being applied to Hayes' neck.' In the newly released body camera footage, a struggling Hayes can be seen repeating, 'I can't breathe,' as he's pinned to the ground outside of his home's front door in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills around 3am on July 28
As seen on the body cam footage, Hayes walked outside his home to greet the officers as they arrived.
'What's going on between you and your girl?' one officer is heard asking.
'We were just having a little argument,' Hayes said. 'She was throwing some stuff at me… Just cleaning it up.'
Hayes told the officers that only his girlfriend and his cousin were in the house.
At that point another man, presumably Hayes's cousin, exited the home and approached the officers, who said they needed to go inside to speak with Hayes's girlfriend.
Hayes began walking with the officers, who quickly told him to stay outside.
'I can't go inside my own house?' Hayes asked.
'Not at the moment, no,' one officer said.
'N*****, that's my house,' Hayes replied.
As seen on the body cam footage, Hayes walked outside his home to greet the officers as they arrived. 'What's going on between you and your girl,' one officer is heard asking
At that point another man (right), believed to be Hayes's cousin, exited the home and approached the officers, who said they needed to go inside to speak with Hayes's girlfriend. Hayes (left) then got increasingly agitated as officers explained that they had the right to enter his home while momentarily keeping him outside for a moment
The other male civilian, believed to be Hayes's cousin, then pleaded with him to stop arguing with the officers. 'I'm begging you bro, don't touch him, pleas bro,' the man said, while gently restraining Hayes
Hayes got increasingly agitated as officers explained that they had the right to enter his home while momentarily keeping him outside for a moment.
The other male civilian, believed to be Hayes's cousin, then pleaded with him to stop arguing with the officers.
'I'm begging you bro, don't touch him, pleas bro,' the man said, while gently restraining Hayes.
Officers then separated the two men and began to arrest Hayes as the other civilian begged them to stop.
It was then that the arrest became violent, with Hayes appearing to shove one officer into the wall outside his front door.
'Stop resisting or I'm going to taser you,' one officer said.
'I can't breathe,' the panicked Hayes struggled to say as officers piled on top of him. 'I can't breathe… I'm a blessed soul.'
Officers separated the two men and began to arrest Hayes as the other civilian begged them to stop. It was then that the arrest became violent, with Hayes appearing to shove one officer into the wall outside his front door. Afterwards officers were heard yelling 'quit resisting'
Hayes repeatedly warned the officers that the violent arrest would become public
Eventually one officer tasered Hayes, who began screaming 'No!'
At that point, one officer can be heard saying 'get your knee up,' but it's unclear if he's speaking to Hayes or another officer who was possibly kneeling on him.
'Gimme your f***ing badge numbers,' Hayes said.
At this point, the electrical zapping noise can be heard as one officer yells 'taser.'
'No!' No!' an increasingly terrified Hayes yelled. 'Stop! Stop!'
Hayes then agreed to stop resisting while a woman, possibly his girlfriend, can be heard yelling at him to 'stop talking.'
He continued to demand to see a warrant as officers threatened to tase him again.
'Jaxson just shut up, stop talking, stop moving,' the woman is heard saying.
Officers struggled to handcuff Hayes, who continued to curse and resist arrest. At one point he tried to say the police are supposed to 'protect and serve' but instead said 'peterve' a few times before correcting himself amid the chaos.
A woman, possibly Hayes's girlfriend, can be heard yelling at him to be quiet and stop resisting
One officer suffered an injured elbow during the incident. He was treated at a local hospital and released later that day.
Hayes was arrested and taken to a local hospital where he received a medical evaluation. He was cleared by the attending physician and then later booked at an LA County Jail.
'We are still at the very early stages of this investigation, which can often take up to a year to complete,' LAPD captain Stacy Spell said in the police video provided to media. 'And our understanding of the incident may change as additional evidence is collected, analyzed, and reviewed.
'In the next several months, the LAPD will continue to investigate and analyze this incident.'
Mark Baute, an attorney for Hayes, provided a statement to DailyMail.com: 'Jaxson Hayes is a nice young man and a very dedicated basketball player, and he is training hard back home in Ohio this summer to get ready for the season. We have no comment on the edited video sent out by the LAPD.'
After being tasered, Hayes was moved from the ground to a bench outside his front door
Hayes has not yet been punished by the NBA, although the Los Angeles Police Protective League has called on NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson to do just that.
'Mr. Silver, the actions of your player were unlawful, completely unacceptable and are as clear a prima facie case of violating several of the National Basketball Association policies as we have seen,' LAPPL board of directors president Craig D. Lally wrote in a letter obtained by TMZ.
'We respectfully request that you immediately initiate a thorough investigation into Mr. Hayes' actions before, during and after the incident and to take appropriate corrective action to hold Mr. Hayes accountable.
'The video is clear,' Lally wrote. 'Your swift action in this incident is warranted.'
A spokesperson for the LAPPL provided a photograph of an officer's injured arm to DailyMail.com, purportedly showing swelling and a cut that the officer suffered during the altercation with Hayes on July 28.
A spokesperson for the LAPPL provided a photograph of an officer's injured arm (pictured) to DailyMail.com, purportedly showing swelling and a cut that the officer suffered during the altercation with Hayes on July 27
The LAPPL also called on the NBA to punish Hayes, who is black, for using a racial slur.
'The human impact of his actions is obviously lost on Mr. Hayes,' read Lally's letter to Silver and Benson. 'Mr. Hayes' inability to consider how his violent tirade harmed all those involved, from his girlfriend to the other civilians at the residence to the responding officers is troubling and should be a point of reflection for Mr. Hayes.
'Once again, we find ourselves in the position of asking the NBA to take action to uphold its own values and standards. Further, we hope you send an unequivocal message that assaulting police officers will never be tolerated by the NBA. Given the severity of this incident, we sincerely hope you take decisive action in this case.'
The eight-overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Hayes attended Cincinnati's Moeller High School, which has produced several famous athletes, including Baseball Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin.
He played one season for the Long Horns, averaging 10 points and five rebounds a game.
In two NBA seasons, Hayes has started 17 games and is among several young stars on the Pelicans, including Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Hayes's father Jonathan was a former NFL tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, and his mother Kinne played basketball at Drake University.
Current NBA commissioner Adam Silver pictured next to Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and her late husband, Tom (left). The LAPPL is pressuring Silver and Benson to punish Hayes
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