A Michigan cop was caught on camera randomly punching an unarmed black man and knocking him cold amid a brawl in the city. The video, posted on Reddit this weekend, shows the unarmed man walking backward as two police officers give him commands. One of the officers then punches him and knocks him out.
The disturbing video has since gone viral, with Detroit Police now reviewing the video and investigating the case. The police officer hasn't been named yet but could face charges if investigations reveal that he was guilty.
Police Brutality
The unidentified Detroit officer was in a group of six officers who can be seen marching toward a man standing in the middle of the street in the early hours on Sunday. The black man is then suddenly hit by the cop with a right cross, the video shows.
"You ain't got to do that, dog!" someone can be heard shouting in the video as the officer continues to punch the man, who stiffens his body and then falls straight back onto the street.
It seems many had gathered around to watch the officer punching the man as shouts can be heard. "Oh my Lord!" someone shouts, as the officer who punches the man grabs the fallen man and half picks him up, standing behind him so his seemingly unconscious body rested against his legs.
The officer remains unfazed as people continue to shout from behind. "'Black Lives Matter' and you gonna go do that, tho?" someone in the angry crowd shouted at the officer, while someone else called him a "ho" and "the black n***a who hit him."
Once the man starts shouting and ranting, the officer moves his leg and walks off, the video shows.
Insensitive Act
Detroit Police have launched an internal investigation into the incident but haven't named the officer yet. "It appears in this video — the cops attempted to break up a fight — and this guy was trying to get involved," Detroit Police Second Deputy Chief Rudy Harper said of the incident. "He may have been trying to escalate it and may have even assaulted a cop."
Other footage obtained by Fox 2 showed the man caught up in a mass brawl in the area — and getting pushed over by another cop before he was punched.
It was not immediately clear if the man was examined by medical professionals after the punch, officials told the paper. However, he could also face charges for what happened before he was hit.
That said, the man who was punched doesn't appear to react when officers try to lift him up. He eventually wakes up and begins shaking his hand at the police. Pedestrians then help him up as officers leave the scene.
However, Detroit Police is taking the incident seriously. "I have some serious concerns as to how that was handled. We've come to expect our officers to deescalate situations. I did not see de-escalation there, I didn't see our training there," Interim Detroit Police Chief James White said.
