Father says police slammed his autistic son to the ground and punched him in the face during citation.

A California father is accusing the police of being unnecessarily aggressive after an incident involving his 17-year-old autistic son.

Adam Wolf shared a post to Facebook detailing the Wednesday incident, which he says involved a Vacaville, California police officer throwing his son, Preston to the ground and hitting him after he tried to run away.

The incident was captured on neighbors’ ring doorbells which Wolf included in his social media post.

Wolf said that his son has autism and ADHD and “looks and acts younger than he is.”

“My son became fearful, as would any child with Autism,” Wolf wrote explaining why his son ran. “The officer went to touch Preston, at which point Preston moves away. At this point Preston was confused and afraid and moves away from the officer even more. At that point, the officer felt it was a good idea to THROW Preston to the ground. Once on the ground, the officer climbed on top of Preston and PUNCHED him in the face.”

He continued, “I am pro police, but I am not pro ABUSE! This individual and department must be held accountable for their actions. NO child, disability or not, deserves to be treated like this.”

Preston was arrested and taken into custody for an hour before he was cited and released to his stepmother. 

“I don’t believe that Preston will ever trust a police officer again,” Wolf wrote.

According to a press release from the Vacaville police department, an officer was dispatched to the area Wednesday afternoon for a report of a possible stabbing or assault with either a knife or a pipe. The officer found the victim of the assault, a 16-year-old boy, who had minor injuries that did not require medical attention.

The officer then found the suspect, a 17-year-old boy, police said, according to NBC News.

“The officer asked the suspect to sit down, which he did. When the police officer took out his handcuffs, the suspect actively began resisting arrest, trying to get up and run. In response, the officer forced the suspect to the ground and onto his stomach,” the press release states. The officer was not aware that the teen has special needs.

“We understand the video posted on social media can appear very disturbing. When we receive a 911 call involving an assault with a deadly weapon and potential stabbing, we respond immediately to ensure we keep those in the vicinity safe. Our officer had a clear description of the suspect and the minor who was arrested fit this description,” said acting police Chief Ian Schmutzler.