On October 28th local time, a police officer in Oban City, Washington State, USA, had a violent physical altercation with a man in the middle of the road. After the video was exposed, the involved police officer was suspended for investigation.
According to Fox News, the Omaha Police Department said that the incident was caused by the man running through traffic and attempting to open car doors. The police said they used Tasers but were unable to stop the man. The man resisted, and it took four officers to finally control him after he continued to struggle and shout loudly.
The family members have a completely different account of what happened. They claim that the man was in a state of mental crisis, with a confused state of mind. The family stated that the man raised his hands, simply trying to approach his stepdaughter’s vehicle.
The video shows a police officer riding on top of the man and punching him repeatedly in the head. After being punched 22 times, the man lost consciousness and was eventually arrested.
Witness Jesse Wolf described the scene as follows: "The person couldn't turn over, and officers pressed him down, repeatedly hitting his face. His head kept hitting the concrete ground."
Wolff believes that the police's response was excessive: “I think this was an overuse of force. The man clearly had no weapons, not even a jacket.” He mentioned that the man had visible injuries on his face, back, and shoulders.
Oban police said that the man refused to be detained, while Wolf reported that he heard the man repenting during the struggle. “The suspect kept crying and apologizing, saying he was very sorry.”
The police said that the man did not suffer serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital for examination. However, the man’s family members stated that he lost consciousness after the conflict ended.
The police said that the man will be detained after the hospital examination is completed, and he faces several charges: possession of controlled substances, disturbance of public order, obstruction of official business, and attempted third-degree assault.
A family member of the man confirmed that he was released on bail on the 29th, and said that he suffered severe injuries to his face and had difficulty walking.
