William Aguilar v. Paul Hodson, et al.
Erik Aguilar was a New Bedford man who died in the custody of the New Bedford police on July 22, 2010. The entire incident was recorded on surveillance video. A convenience store employee called the police seeking help for Mr. Aguilar. New Bedford police officer Paul Hodson arrived at the store, spoke with Mr. Aguilar, then tried to handcuff him. Officer Hodson then took Mr. Aguilar to the ground, sprayed him with pepper spray, handcuffed him with his hands behind his back, left him lying face down on the pavement, and applied pressure to his back. Mr.