Valley traffic stop video goes viral

A video recording of a traffic stop in Palm Desert went viral on social media before it was removed from Facebook Monday. It showed Riverside County sheriff’s deputies with guns in hand telling the driver and passenger to get on the ground and you hear the car passenger Alejandro Natividad, of Indio, shouting, refusing as he shot the video on his cell phone.

Natividad and his friend, Michael Jean-Baptiste, the driver seen laying on the sidewalk, said they were on their way home from church Sunday when Jean-Baptiste suddenly panicked, stopped in the middle of Washington street and backed up traffic, that’s when a sheriff’s deputy approached their car.

“I frantically pulled over. He told me to stay in the car,” said Jean-Baptiste of La Quinta.

The sheriff’s department said Jean-Baptiste was awake, but dazed and unresponsive.

“The officer also smelled a strong odor of marijuana,” said Capt. Andrew Shouse.

Deputies said the men got out of the car, which escalated the situation and that’s when officers pulled out their weapons. A second deputy appeared and handcuffed the men. They arrested Jean-Baptiste for driving under the influence of marijuana.

Shouse said the heated situation could’ve been avoided if both men would’ve remained in the car.

“We encourage the community to remain inside the vehicle and not to exit the vehicle unless they’re directed by a peace officer,” said Shouse.

Jean-Baptiste and Natividad said officers jumped the gun.

“I stood by what I felt was the right thing to do at that moment. Would I have handled it differently? Yeah, but I would not lay down. I have not committed a crime,” said Natividad.

Shouse said Natividad was not arrested because being under the influence as a passenger is not a crime.

Natividad decided to remove the video from his Facebook on Monday afternoon and said he doesn’t want it to affect an athletic organization he’s affiliated with.