Pima County deputy in incident involving amputee wants to clear his name

(Photo: Pima County Sheriff's Department)

An Arizona sheriff's deputy under scrutiny for restraining a 15-year-old quadruple amputee during an encounter in a group home says he looks forward to clearing his name and returning to duty.

Pima County sheriff's Deputy Manuel Van Santen said in a statement released Friday that a widely viewed video showed only part of the Sept. 26 incident that occurred as he responded to a 911 call by a group home worker.

A defense lawyer for the youth has called Van Santen's behavior appalling but the deputy said he was responding to reported threats and other alleged criminal behavior and followed his training and departmental guidelines.

He's been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Charges against the youth were dropped when the video was released.