A San Bernardino police officer is under investigation after cellphone video captured him striking a man and kneeing him in the face multiple times while another officer pinned him down during an arrest earlier this week.
The investigation was launched following the Monday arrest of a man who led police on a pursuit in a suspected stolen car. The chase ended when the driver crashed into a pole and was subsequently arrested by two officers who used force to detain the man.
Cellphone footage captured the man face down in a street near the site of the crash as one officer pinned the man down and held his arms behind his back while the second officer struck him with his hand and knee.
“We want to assure the public that we immediately started an investigation into this incident,” the San Bernardino Police Department said in a statement. “The officer's actions are being examined for overall conduct, decision-making, and policy violations.”
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Retired Los Angeles Police Department Patrol Sgt. Cheryl Dorsey said that, as someone who evaluates the use of force by officers, the officials in the video were excessively violent.
“… What I see are officers punishing someone, which happens many times at the end of a vehicle chase because that person had the temerity to run,” she said after viewing the video. She explained that use of force must be, “reasonable, necessary and proportionate to overcome the resistance or take someone into custody.”
Investigators have not said if the officers in the video had body cameras on at the time of the arrest. According to the department, the officer who hit and kneed the driver has been “placed on a modified assignment while the investigation is ongoing.”
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"Our agency strives for a Standard of Excellence and this situation appears to fall short,” San Bernardino Chief Darren Goodman said in a statement. “We will take the necessary steps to correct any officers' actions that are inconsistent with protecting our community, providing quality service, and fostering trust. I have made it clear to our community that I will stand by my officers when we get it right. On the contrary, if we make mistakes, I will own it and take swift action to correct the situation."
The department did not release the names of the officers in the video nor of the man who was arrested. It added, however, that the driver faces multiple felonies, but officials did not specify.