A California man was arrested for fighting two police officers outside of a fried chicken spot earlier this week. Footage of the incident has since gone viral.
According to NBC Los Angeles, police were summoned to a Louisiana Fried Chicken in Hawthorne, Calif. on Monday following reports of a panhandler who was threatening people who refused to give him money. When police arrived, the man, identified as 29-year-old Thomas Christopher Brown, refused to cooperate when they asked for identification. From there, the encounter turned violent:
The man then pushed an officer's hand away when two tried to detain him, and then punched the officer in the face, police said.
The officers used a Taser on the man, but his clothing was too thick for it to bring him to the ground, police said.
Video captured by a witness showed a shirtless man between two officers in a parking lot, the man and officers going back and forth throwing punches.
One officer can be seen kicking the man as the other cop grabs him. Video showed the officers using a Taser on the now-shirtless man and punching him as he lay down on the ground.
A witness told NBC Los Angeles that police exerted unnecessary force, but the Hawthorne Police Department contends that the officers' actions were within policy. Both were treated for their injuries at a local hospital. Meanwhile, Brown faces charges including assaulting an officer.
