2 Men Awarded $1.6M In Long Beach Police Beating

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — It's dark and grainy cell phone video but you can clearly hear the chaotic scene playing out.

Long Beach police are beating two men with their batons and at one point you hear police giving orders.

Cousins Miguel Contreras and Miguel Vazquez are the two men you hear screaming on the recording. The disturbing episode played out in Long Beach six years ago but didn't become public until Wednesday.

The cousins will split a $1.6 million award in the verdict against the Long Beach Police Department because of what happened that night.

"I feel vindicated after six years of listening to their side that it was our fault," Contreras said. "To hear that found in our favor it was the biggest relief ever."

Contreras and Vazquez's say they got into it with Long Beach officers Lt. David Faris and Officer Michael Hynes after the two officers were responding to a call in their neighborhood around 2 a.m. Vazquez says he went to see what was going on and the officers told him to get back.

"I stood my ground for a little bit," Vasquez said. "He said just back away. He approached me grabbed me, threw me on the floor and just started beating me with the baton."

Contreras heard the commotion and came outside and verbally confronted the officers. The officers used their batons when Contreras would not back off. He says he was hit at least 19 times. These Pictures were taken of his injuries.

The attorneys say it was obvious the officers used excessive force.

"Right above my elbow was completely shattered," Contreras said. "In my case I'm maimed for life – I'm disabled for life."