PROVO, Utah — Imagine watching police pin your child to the ground, for the wrong reason — that’s what happened to one father in Provo over the weekend.
“This can’t happen to anyone, because it feels really bad,” said Raul Baizabal, the father of 16-year-old Uriel Baizabal.
Uriel was tackled and detained during an indoor soccer game Sunday after bail bondsmen mistook him for a wanted suspect.
“When I was in that situation, it was pretty harsh for me. It just happened so unexpectedly," Uriel said. “Officers came up to me and just tackled me down, put their knees on my back, and I was just so confused and scared."
He said he kept repeating his name and telling them they had the wrong person.
A witness caught the interaction on video.
“I was really scared,” said Raul. “I asked them, 'You already have him, so don’t put that knee on him. Let him go — you have the wrong person. I don’t think you have the right guy.'”
Provo Police said they were helping bondsmen find a suspect who was wanted for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a restricted person.
The police department's statement said the bail enforcement agents "located a male who was participating in an indoor match and took him to the ground."
It was a shock for Raul to see this happening to his son.
“I was like, 'OK, if the police is her, my son did something — I didn’t know what," he told FOX 13 News. "I love my son and I know he’s not a bad person, but he did something because the police is here on top of him, treating him really badly, like a criminal."
But it turned out Uriel was the wrong person. Provo Police said they "quickly discovered the male being detained was not the wanted person." They said they immediately spoke to Uriel's family at the arena after realizing their mistake.
“Confusing innocence with criminal is a big mistake,” said Raul. “In my son’s case, nothing happened — I’m happy with that, but can be different, different story because sometimes they come in with a gun and they shoot without questions.”
The Baizabal family still trying to process what happened.
“When I saw my son on the ground with all these officers on top of him, I was feeling to defend him. But at the same time, I know I can’t,” said Raul.
They hope no one else has to go through an incident like this in the future.
“I told myself that everything is going to be OK. Just to stay calm at the moment,” said Uriel.
Provo Police said the right suspect was found and arrested at the arena shortly afterward.
