A Missouri police officer is under investigation after video footage from a doorbell camera showed the officer running over a fleeing suspect before physically tackling him on the front yard of the home in Florissant, Missouri.
The video, first shared by RealSTLMedia on their Instagram page, shows the officer driving the police SUV into the yard as he pursues the suspect who was on foot. The officer can then be seen running over the man as he screams in pain and tries to limp away from the vehicle before telling the suspect to "get on the f-----g ground" and jumping on his back.
The officer then tries to handcuff the suspect while he continues to scream in anguish, telling the officer "I don't have nothing." Watch the video below:
Officer Suspended
During a press conference on Saturday, Florissant Police Chief Timothy Fagan said the detective who was behind the wheel of the SUV has been suspended from duty and the two other police officers in the vehicle have been placed on leave.
Although the incident took place on Tuesday, June 2, Fagan said he did not see the video footage of the incident until Saturday and was "deeply concerned" about the contents of the video. He pointed out that the officers were not wearing body cameras at the time of the incident. He did not identify the officer driving the SUV but revealed he has been with the police department for nine years.
Pursuit Followed 'Shots Fired' Call
The suspect, a 20-year-old male, suffered an ankle injury and was taken to a hospital for treatment but has since been discharged. Fagan noted that the pursuit began when the officer was monitoring a car that matched the description of a vehicle that was associated with a "shots fired" call. The police chief also said that there are pending drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest charges for the man seen in the video.
Investigation
The federal Department of Justice released a statement on Sunday saying the department, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and the FBI are "aware of the situation" and "will review all available evidence to determine what federal response is warranted." There is a potential for federal civil rights violations, the statement said.
