A black man was violently arrested by armed police officers who caught him breaking into his own car after locking the keys inside.
Video footage has surfaced showing an unidentified 34-year-old black man from Detroit, Michigan, being dragged to the ground by several police officers who repeatedly punched him while his neighbors screamed and tried to intervene.
The video was shared on Facebook by De’trey Jackson via Facebook Live around 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Jackson captioned his post: “He locked his keys in the car and was trying to get them out of the car with a coat hanger which police arrested at this event.”
Detroit Deputy Police Chief Melissa Gardner said during a news conference Tuesday that the individual is no longer in custody.
Video footage shows several Detroit police officers tackling a black man and drawing their weapons during a violent altercation.
Neighbors witnessed the incident and tried to tell police that the man was innocent. Some members of the group tried to intervene but the police drew their weapons to control the crowd.
The 34-year-old man was arrested after officers saw him break into his own car after searching his keys inside while they were on a routine patrol in the area.
Jackson – who filmed the altercation – yelled at police asking what they were doing and tried to inform them that the suspect had broken into his own car. He repeatedly told police: “Let him go!” »
The incident appears to have taken place on the front porch of a home in the 1400 block of State Fair, near Gratiot on Detroit’s east side.
Before removing the handcuffs to arrest the unidentified black man, one of the officers violently pulled the man’s black hoodie – which had Black Lives Matter written on the front – over his face so that he can’t see.
When the officer attempted to handcuff the black man, he became visibly anxious and attempted to resist being restrained, causing the police to become more aggressive.
The man was seen trying to grab something from one of an officer’s jackets, which sparked a physical struggle between all the men.
A fight broke out between the individual and several police officers as he attempted to fight off their forces while police dragged him down.
One officer repeatedly punched him at least three times on the side of his body as he was forced to the ground by the other officer.
The police used their weapons to try to control the crowd of neighbors who were defending the arrested man.
The neighbors tried to move the officers away from the individual but were pushed back by the police.
Meanwhile, the other officers began attacking bystanders who were becoming increasingly angry and attempting to defend the unidentified individual.
The surrounding police officers stood on the porch, drew their guns from their holsters, and pointed them in the direction of other bystanders standing at the bottom of the porch stairs.
The officer kept telling the rest of the group to back off while the man behind the camera repeatedly asked “or what?” before saying: “I can stay in the street”. I pay my taxes.
The Facebook live stream continued as local residents tried to explain that he had tried to break into his own car. They claimed that the police strangled the man for no reason.
Detroit police officials said in a news release Tuesday that they are continuing to investigate what happened.
Detroit Police Department spokesperson Jackson Vidaurri said, “The department is in possession of video showing several officers using force to make an arrest of an individual on Detroit’s east side.
“This matter has been referred to the department’s Office of Professional Standards for further investigation into the facts and circumstances of the incident, including the reason for the initial stop, the tactics employed by the officers, and the reasonableness of the force used.”
A police officer pulled the man’s hood over his head so he could not see as he attempted to handcuff the individual.
“The department will remain fully transparent in its investigation into this troubling incident and will provide an update as soon as possible.”
Detroit police held a news conference at 4 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the video of officers arresting the man.
Deputy Police Chief Melissa Gardner said officers were on a routine patrol when they saw what appeared to be an individual committing a crime.
She said the individual seen by officers appeared to be trying to get into a vehicle using a jamming device.
The police investigated and found that a crime had occurred or was occurring and therefore attempted to arrest the individual who continued to resist and refused to reveal his identity.
She confirmed there is body camera footage that needs to be reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.
After viewing the footage, Gardner said they will decide whether training situations should be addressed or disciplinary action should be administered.
The congresswoman said she could only provide limited information since the investigation is ongoing.