Three police officers in Arkansas were suspended this Sunday after a video emerged showing them beating an arrested man, according to local media reports.
The clip, which quickly circulated on social networks, depicts the detainee being pinned to the ground by the three officers. One officer strikes him repeatedly and appears to slam his head into the pavement, another administers kicks, and the third helps keep him restrained.
Colonel Bill Bryant of the Arkansas State Police confirmed that the Crawford County incident will be investigated at the request of the video evidence and the local prosecutor.
Two of the officers are Crawford County Sheriff’s deputies and the third is a Mulberry police officer, a town within the county.
The Arkansas State Police will oversee the investigation into the events, a commitment echoed by the state governor, Asa Hutchinson, via social media.
Crawford Police Chief James Damante stated that the officers have been suspended and that appropriate action will be taken in relation to the incident.
Damante emphasized that the department is pursuing accountability in this matter, and Mulberry Police officials reported similar disciplinary steps for their officers involved.
According to NPR, a TikTok user named Naomi Johnson posted the video with the caption that her sister witnessed the incident. The shareability of the clip, which appeared on several platforms, also led to posts on other networks before it was removed from one platform.
Police sources indicated the incident began after officers in Alma received information about a man who allegedly threatened a store clerk by making violent gestures and signaling threatening messages. The man reportedly left the scene on a bicycle and was subsequently stopped by law enforcement on a nearby highway.
Officials said the detainee attempted to flee and allegedly assaulted one of the officers during the confrontation. He was later taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, facing multiple charges including assault and terrorist threats.
The case is being treated as a serious matter by state authorities, with prosecutors and investigators examining the sequence of events, the use of force, and the surrounding circumstances to determine whether charges or further disciplinary measures are warranted.