DENVER -- A security guard at Denver Health Medical Center is accused of using a stun gun on a man and beating him with a flashlight.
Multiple people reached out about the case after seeing a post from Michelle Martinez on Facebook.
In the post, Martinez said her son, Nicolas Montez Jr., arrived at Denver Health early Saturday morning after he saw his brother get shot. She said the security guard attacked him without provocation.
"As [Nicolas] arrived the security guards instructed him to sit next the information desk, which he did. I was notified that my son was there waiting so I went to the ER waiting room," Martinez said. "Nick began to walk toward me once he saw me and was tackled by the security officer.
"Another officer began punching him and kneeing him in the face. They tazed (sic) him and he fell to the ground they kneeled on his back and continued to taze him."
"He's screaming, 'My brother's back there, my brother's been shot, I'm trying to get to my brother,'" Martinez said.
Martinez said she was running toward the men when an officer pulled out a metal flashlight and started hitting her son on the head and face.
"Nick was down with his arms behind his back and the security guard went up with the flashlight and cracked his head open. You could hear it echo through the hallway," Martinez said.
"I was helpless. My mother came screaming and they put her in a police hold. She's 64 years old.
"No mother [should] to have to go through what I've gone through, watching my son get beat with a metal object and not be able to do anything."
"This is not about color. My son is Hispanic, this is about injustice and unprovoked attacks by security officers in a position of trust," she said on Facebook.
Denver Health spokeswoman Kelli Christensen said the security guard, who works for HSS Security, has been put on leave.
"We take this matter seriously and are currently investigating the events that occurred at our hospital early Saturday morning," Christensen said. "We are told by HSS that the security guard in question has been put on leave pending further investigation."
HSS said two security officers tried to prevent a "disruptive and combative person from entering the emergency room."
"At some point during the ensuing event, HSS officers deployed a Taser to control the person, which was not effective," HSS said in a statement. "The person suffered a head injury when subdued by officers."
"Our officers receive training in patient restraint practices and safe handling of individuals under stress, and we are always concerned if we are not able to successfully defuse a situation," said Alan Butler, senior vice president of health care security. "We are cooperating with Denver Health’s internal investigation and have been told Denver police are conducting an investigation as well."