SHREWSBURY — A newly surfaced video shows the tense moments during a February 2025 traffic stop near 39 Stoneland Road in Shrewsbury, where a 24-year-old Roxbury man was forcibly removed from a vehicle by police and arrested after an escalating confrontation. The footage, shared in response to News Link Live’s original reporting, has sparked renewed public scrutiny regarding the transparency and conduct of the Shrewsbury Police Department.
The video was posted today by Sanam HZ in the Shrewsbury, MA (Community Forum) Facebook group, specifically in response to a post shared earlier by News Link Live’s editor-in-chief Genevieve DiNatale, which included an article about the arrest. In the accompanying comment, Sanam pointed out that a previous statement from the Shrewsbury Police Department regarding the incident had been removed from the town’s website. According to Sanam, the removed statement emphasized that “transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining the trust of the community.” Since its removal, no additional updates have been provided to the public.
“I am not presuming the guilt or innocence of the officers involved, but I am concerned about the lack of communication and transparency about the investigation process from our Shrewsbury PD and town leaders around this incident,” Sanam wrote.
The incident took place near 39 Stoneland Road on the night of Monday, February 24, 2025. According to a Statement of Facts submitted to Westborough District Court by Officer Ahmed Kafel, the passenger—later identified as Sebastian I. Ruiz—was moving around unusually inside the vehicle despite officers’ commands to remain still. Kafel wrote that Ruiz’s movements created an “extreme concern for safety,” and that when officers attempted to remove him from the car, Ruiz resisted, tensed his body, and later kicked Officer Kafel in the legs while on the ground.
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A cell phone video of the arrest, shared by Ashley Ruiz via Facebook Reel, appears to show part of the interaction. In the footage, Officer Kafel orders Ruiz not to “reach around” before forcibly removing him from the vehicle. Ruiz asks for the officer’s badge number, to which Kafel replies, “Badge number 89, Officer Kafel, Shrewsbury Police Department, you understand?” He then adds, “Don’t put that, I’ll break this,” referring to the car window Ruiz was rolling up.
A woman filming the video reacts, exclaiming, “What is wrong with this [n-word]? Oh my God! What the f*ck? Oh, hell no!”
Moments later, Kafel yells, “You want to f*cking put my life in danger? Get out of the car right now! Reach around and I’ll f*ck*ng smack you,” before officers forcibly remove Ruiz from the vehicle.
After he was removed from the vehicle, Ruiz allegedly kicked Officer Kafel in the legs, according to Kafel’s Statement of Facts, and was then placed under arrest.
Following the arrest, Ruiz was charged with:
- Assault & Battery on a Police Officer
- Resisting Arrest
- Disorderly Conduct
- Disturbing the Peace
He was held on $500 cash bail and arraigned in Westborough District Court on February 25, 2025. At the arraignment, the Commonwealth’s motion to revoke bail was granted. A judge also found Ruiz dangerous during a hearing held the same day and ordered him held without bail. His next court appearance—a pretrial hearing—is scheduled for March 24 via Zoom.
The Shrewsbury Police Department has not publicly commented on the video or confirmed whether an internal investigation is underway. The original statement posted to the town website—which emphasized transparency—was later removed without explanation.
