Sheriff Deputy Mario Chavez Ruiz was seen beating Evan Louis, right with a nightstick after he had surrendered. PHOTOS COURTESY OF FACEBOOK

Dania Beach, Fla. – The arrest of a Hollywood man by Broward County Sheriff deputies after he was pulled over for a traffic violation, escalated into violence, captured on video and posted on social media.

Both sides are in a dispute over what transpired that day when Sheriff Deputy Mario Chavez Ruiz was seen beating Evan Louis with a nightstick after he had surrendered.

After another officer arrived at the scene, both deputies took down Louis hard and handcuffed him.

Louis could be heard yelling for help.

The incident occurred on March 24, 2024 at 2279 North 23rd Avenue, according to an arrest report.

Louis said he was roughed up for no apparent reason but, Ruiz said in the police report he refused to provide his driver’s license and fought with him and feared for his life when he observed a holstered firearm tucked inside the driver-door compartment readily accessible to Louis.

Louis, 25, was charged with battery on an officer, resisting arrest without violence, tinted windows and seat belt violation.

He was taken to the hospital for medical treatment and then tossed into jail.

Louis told the South Florida Times the charges were dropped and he’s planning to file a lawsuit against the Broward County Sheriff Office seeking $37.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Louis said Ruiz and Sheriff Deputy Matthew Comoninas used excessive force but the incident could have been prevented.

Louis said when stopped, he requested a supervisor deputy to the location to diffuse tension over a disagreement on why he was pulled over.

He was stopped for having tinted windows, according to the arrest report.

Louis said he was pulled over in Dania Beach by Ruiz but the arrest report states the deputy signaled for him to stop in neighboring Hollywood.

Louis said he requested a supervisor cop when the deputy allegedly became belligerent but his request was denied.

"He denied me that right and asked for my name and driver’s license," Louis said. "I again asked for a supervisor and he again said no."

Louis said he then reached for his cell phone to call another officer to the location but the deputy allegedly grabbed his throat and pulled him out of the vehicle, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Louis said the officer also struck him several times with a nightstick.

He said he surrendered with his hands up but he ran because the officer allegedly kept hitting him with the nightstick.

That part of the incident was not shown in the video.

Louis said when the second officer arrived, he again surrendered but Ruiz began using his nightstick again.

Louis said both officers threw him to the ground hard and placed him in a choke hold while they handcuffed him.

He accused Ruiz of calling him the Nword during the rough takedown.

He said he suffered bruises and abrasions to his legs, upper torso and lower back and was taken to the hospital.

He said he was in the hospital for about five hours before he was thrown into jail. "I feel like they were rushing me from the hospital," he said. "I was in pain for the injuries I had suffered."

But the arrest report tells a different story.

Ruiz said he stopped Louis because of his tinted windows and for not wearing his seatbelt.

Ruiz said he asked Louis for his driver’s license but he refused.

"Immediately, Louis became irate and upset," Ruiz wrote in the report. "I asked twice for his driver’s license, but Louis refused to provide one. Then I also asked him to identify himself by giving me his name to which he said that he was not going to and that I was wasting my time. At that point, I advised Louis that I was giving him a law order to comply by providing his identification or name, but he still refused."

"It is worth mentioning that throughout the first portion of my interaction with Louis, I had to keep asking them to place his hands where I could see them," Ruiz added. "I was not getting any compliance from Louis, who was actively resisting. Therefore, I decided to affect an arrest for obstructing my investigation and failing to comply with a lawful order. I ordered Louis to get out of the car, and at the same time, I reached into his car to unlock it."

Ruiz said Louis then grabbed his left arm, preventing him from opening the car.

Ruiz said at that point, Louis utilized violence to resist arrest by grabbing his hand and removing it from the locking mechanism as he attempted to open the car door from the inside.

"Finally, I successfully opened the driver-side door, and upon doing so, I observed a holstered firearm tucked inside the driver-door compartment readily accessible to Louis," Ruiz said. "I felt that my life was in danger because Louis was aggressively resisting coupled with the fact that Louis had a firearm that he could use to cause great bodily harm or death to me. During the scuffle, Louis elbowed me in the chest area."

He said Louis then exited his vehicle in a way that Ruiz perceived as him reaching for his readily accessible weapons, such as a firearm and a machete that was also tucked in between the driver’s seat and the door.

"But I prevented him from reaching for those weapons," Ruiz said. "I then delivered close-fist strikes to his face, hoping that Louis would seize (sic) his behavior."

Ruiz said Louis stepped away from the vehicle but refused to comply when he was told to get to the ground.

Ruiz said he delivered several strikes utilizing his BSO-issued expandable baton to his legs and arms.

"It was evident to me that Louis was trying to re-enter his vehicle, where he had access to a firearm and a machete," Ruiz said. "I stood in the way of that and then removed the keys from the ignition. I waited for additional deputies to arrive so that I could safely apprehend Louis. Deputy Colominas arrived shortly after, at which point the defendant was handcuffed between us."

The Broward Sheriff’s Office released a statement that read: “The Broward Sheriff’s Office conducts a thorough review of incidents involving use of force by its employees to ensure that their authority is used lawfully and is consistent with training and policy. The deputy who conducted the traffic stop is on administrative investigative leave with pay, pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation and the Use of Force Review Board’s recommendation.”

Former Dania Beach mayor Robert Chunn told the South Florida Times that the video capturing the rough takedown and arrest was disturbing.

He said Broward Sheriff deputies have a long history of being belligerent to citizens when he was in political office and initiated several policies to crack down on police misconduct.

Chunn said he tried to reach out to Louis to get to the bottom of the arrest but couldn’t locate him. "I thought it was important to find out what happened in our city," Chunn said. "He shouldn’t be beaten the way he was. Officers are not responsible for punishing people that way. You arrest them without violence."

Louis said he hopes the incident and his lawsuit raise awareness about police brutality by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

In his lawsuit, he’s seeking expenses for his hospital bill, physical and emotional damages and loss of wages.

Louis also is calling for a policy to require training for officers to prevent similar incidents.

"I hope no one else experiences what I did," he said. "I know my rights and I requested for another officer to come to the scene to prevent this from getting out of hand."