After a violent arrest in the US state of Arkansas, prosecutors have launched investigations into three police officers, the Arkansas State Police said on Facebook. The incident happened on Sunday morning (local time) in front of a grocery store in Mulberry in the west of the state.
A video circulating on social media shows at least two uniformed men punching and kicking a man lying on the ground. Another man in uniform holds the victim to the ground.
The white-skinned man is said to be a 27-year-old from South Carolina – more than 1,500 kilometers to the east, according to the state police statement. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and then arrested. He is charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses, including second degree assault, resisting arrest, possession of an instrument of crime, trespassing and terrorist threat.
The police officers were suspended until the investigation was completed, the responsible authorities said on Facebook. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office wrote: “I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate action on this matter.”
“The City of Mulberry and the Mulberry Police Department take this investigation very seriously and hold all of their officers accountable for their actions. We will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete,” the city said on its Facebook page.
In the video, passers-by can be heard asking the police officers to stop. The reaction of one of the officers: “Back the fuck up.” In German: “Go damn it back.”
