Three Arkansas law enforcement officers have been suspended after a video emerged showing a suspect being pinned to the ground and repeatedly beaten.
One of the officers repeatedly punches the man in the head and even bashes his head against the pavement.
Another officer repeatedly knees the man in the back. Both are dressed in the uniform of the Crawford County Sheriff’s office.
A police officer restrains the man on the ground while this takes place.
As he is being beaten, the man covers his head with his hands and appears to be trying to roll up into a ball to protect himself.
The video has been viewed millions of times on social media and sparked outrage.
One Twitter user alluded to the case of George Floyd, a black man who was murdered in police custody in 2020, leading to worldwide protests.
A woman who is not seen in the video can be heard saying: “Don’t beat him! He needs his medicine!”
One officer responds with an expletive while another orders her to get in her car.
The person who posted the video online said her sister witnessed the altercation in the town of Mulberry.
State police identified the man who was arrested as 27-year-old Randall Worcester.
Mr Worcester was accused of making threats in a shop on Sunday morning.
Police said that when officers confronted him, he pushed a deputy to the ground and punched the back of his head, leading to the arrest seen in the video.
The suspect was taken to hospital and faces terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, police said.
On Sunday evening, Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said two county deputies will be suspended while Arkansas state police and his office carry out separate investigations into what happened.
“I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Mr Damante said.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously,” Ms Gregory said.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said on Sunday night on Twitter that the “incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney”.
Source: BBC
