Only on 13: Galveston police officer on leave after video shows him punching teen

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Only on 13, a mother shot a dramatic video of an encounter between a child's birthday party and a man. Galveston police now confirm it involved an off-duty officer, and they are conducting an internal investigation because of the encounter.

Video shows Galveston police officer Jared Rivas hitting someone multiple times, which witnesses claim is a minor.

"They punching on people!" Mom, Heidi Williams, is heard yelling in the video.

In the video, you can see a uniformed Galveston police officer holding a teen down. You can hear the blows from off-duty Officer Rivas land as the teen cries out in pain.

"He was hitting, just hitting people," Williams said.

Williams said her kids were visiting a friend's apartment for a children's birthday party when a man came into the pool area with what appeared to be a law enforcement badge and a walkie-talkie and demanded they leave. Eyewitness News learned that the man was Rivas.

"A man walks up with a walkie-talkie and a badge on and said, 'Are you residents here?' and I said, 'No sir, but we are guests,' and he said, 'Well, you need to get up and f---- leave,'" Williams said.

Williams claims that as they were getting up to leave, Rivas hit one of the moms several times. Rivas then allegedly shoved Williams' 13-year-old son to the ground, who jumped up and hit Rivas back, resulting in Rivas hitting the 13-year-old again.

Williams said Rivas then ran up to her 14-year-old daughter with a closed fist and hit her. Williams said that's when the uniformed cop shows up, holds down a teen, and Rivas starts laying down more punches.

"He grabs him by his head and starts pounding on his head," Williams said.

By Williams' count, at least four people were hit by the off-duty officer. She said her daughter's scalp is swollen and bruised, and her son has a busted lip, is emotional, and they are drained.

"I don't sleep. My daughter doesn't sleep. My son doesn't sleep," Williams said.

Williams said she plans to press charges against the officer who she says attacked her family.

Galveston police say Rivas is on administrative leave, and an internal investigation is underway. Police said Rivas was working as an off-duty security guard at the time of the encounter, but the leasing office told ABC13 Rivas is not an employee of the complex.

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