Former security guard pleads not guilty to charge that he illegally detained Black teen
TAMPA, Fla. Aug 21 2020 – Back in June, Luis Santos stopped and detained a Black teenager on the way to basketball practice. He called 911, claiming he caught the teen red-handed breaking into cars. However, prosecutors say that was all a lie, and now he’s the one in trouble.
Santos is already facing false imprisonment charges, but now FOX 13 has learned Santos also had a gun tucked under the driver’s-side seat when he stopped the victim.
Attorney Anthony Rickman, who is not connected to this case, says this incident could have taken a tragic turn. “If this were a situation that would have escalated, would he have used that firearm?”
Some say it has eerie similarities to another high profile case: Trayvon Martin, the black teen shot and killed by neighborhood vigilante George Zimmerman.
Rickman says, based on cell phone video Santos recorded, the big difference in the case is that this teenager stayed calm the entire time.
“You hear the victim in his voice — ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ — how compliant he is. You could tell he’s a good kid and he’s in such a horrible situation,” said Rickman.
In court today, Santos’ attorney entered a written plea of not guilty. Rickman says the lawyer will likely try to paint Santos as someone trying to do the right thing to protect the Seffner neighborhood.
But the evidence, Rickman believes, will show something else.
“The threats that he made the implicit threats, the actual appearance of authority that he didn’t have,” Rickman offered, “This vigilante wannabe cop who detained him for no lawful reason.”
Santos is back in court in October.
