(KRON) — Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan issued a letter to the community Thursday in response to a viral video, which seemingly shows a panhandler harassing a person selling flowers along Farmers Lane near Highway 12 in Santa Rosa on Nov. 26.
The video appears to show the panhandler kicking the person’s flowers into the road, stuffing them in a box and throwing them over a guardrail. The panhandler and a group of people then take fighting stances before Santa Rosa Police Department officers arrive at the scene at about 10:30 a.m.
“I am aware of a social media video showing an interaction between two of our officers, a street vendor, and a young child,” Cregan’s statement reads. “This video has generated significant concern within our community, so I believe it is important to address it directly with you and provide context. As your chief, it is my priority to build and maintain trust, and every interaction is an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and strengthen that trust.”
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The video, which has been copied and republished numerous times online, shows less than three minutes of a 40-minute investigation, Cregan said. When officers arrived, they prioritized getting everyone out of the busy roadway, he said. When everyone was safe, officers began investigating the ordeal.
“We’re going to bring all your stuff back over here,” an officer says in the video to one of the people standing on the roadside median…