A video taken Sunday showing a Detroit police officer appearing to punch a man in the face has gone viral and led to an investigation.
The video, reported by WXYZ-TV, shows the officer apparently hit a man in a Detroit Tigers shirt, causing the man to fall to the ground. NBC News did not confirm who shot the video, adding that it’s unclear what took place before or after the clip. None of the officers shown in the video, or the man, have reportedly since been identified. The video reportedly earned over 100,000 views in less than six hours, with social media users concerned about the officer using excessive force.
“The Detroit Police Department was made aware, via social media, of an allegation of excessive force in Greektown,” Detroit Police Second Deputy Chief Rudy Harper told the publication in a statement. “Internal Affairs is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the allegation.”
Harper added that the department is not immediately sharing additional info. Police told the Detroit Free Press that the “DPD is committed to remaining transparent throughout this process and will provide updates to the community and our media partners.” This comes just a month after a USA TODAY/Suffolk University/Detroit Free Press poll found that Detroit residents say they are more worried about public safety than about police misconduct.
