The Passaic officer seen in a surveillance tape throwing a mentally disturbed man to the ground, swinging at his ribs, pushing him against a squad car, and then hitting him with a baton several times, defended his actions Wednesday.

“I would like to say today what I did was proper,” Officer Joseph Rio III said. “I did what I was trained to do under the existing circumstances at that time. I stand by my actions.”

Rios’ attorney said what the video doesn’t show is an earlier encounter between Officer Rios and Ronnie Holloway.

“There was comments made by Mr. Holloway concerning aggressive threats,” said attorney Anthony Iacullo.

Rios’ attorney won’t elaborate on those comments.

Holloway, 49, who suffers from schizophrenia, said there was no earlier encounter. He said he was told to cover his exposed belly, which he did, and that he didn’t deserve a beating.

“When he was hitting me when I was on the ground, he said to get down. He was swinging when he said those words,” Holloway said.

It’s clear from the video Holloway was saying something.

His attorney said it’s important to remember Holloway is sick, and mumbling is a hallmark of his disease.

“Police officers should be trained to look for somebody who has a handicap or has a mental disorder,” Holloway’s attorney Nancy Lucianna said. She’s demanding a federal investigation.

She said it’s not a crime to talk back to an officer unless something threatening is said, and that it’s clear from the tape her client, charged with resisting arrest, did not take an aggressive stance.

As for Officer Rios, he and his partner have been suspended without pay.

“I saw the tape over and over. If that’s the way our Passaic officers are trained, there has to be some more retraining,” Mayor Alex Blanco said.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating, reviewing the tape and will ultimately determine the officer’s fate.

(Source: WCBSTV)