The Huntsville Police Department in Alabama are investigating footage from an incident over the weekend which shows an officer repeatedly stomping on a man’s leg while he’s being held down on the ground by another cop, Birmingham-based CBS affiliate WIAT reports.
Bruce Turner, the person who recorded the disturbing scene, said he was unaware how the altercation started at a Mapco gas station on Sunday night, but decided to share it on Facebook Live after noticing several officers entering the store.
After an officer appears to be struggling to subdue the man, who has been identified as Kemontae Hobbs, two more officers run in to help. One of them starts to stomp on Hobbs’ leg while shouting “stop resisting.” Hobbs eventually gets picked up and taken out of the gas station.
Hobbs has been charged with obstructing government operations and resisting arrest. Turner said he spoke with the store clerk, who told him that Hobbs was harassing women in the store.
Huntsville City Councilman Devyn Keith issued a statement condemning the officers’ “reckless use of force.”
“My issue and why I am baffled is at the fact he storms in at the top and automatically goes to stomping,” Keith wrote. “The other officer(s) start to restrain and state (communicate). The original officer still in what seems to be body control…. never throws a punch… the Stomping Officer never aides (sic) in control.”
A Huntsville Police spokesperson said that a response should be expected “in the coming days.”
