(WWJ) A Detroit police officer caught on video punching a man in the head in Greektown has been suspended by the department.
The unnamed officer had already been placed on desk duty on Monday following the incident that was seen widely on social media over the weekend.
A police spokesperson talking to WWJ could not confirm whether the suspension was with or without pay.
Interim Police Chief James White has addressed the incident, saying Detroit Police Internal Affairs was reviewing what happened.
The video, which was captured the night of July 31, shows officers approach a man in a Detroit Tigers shirt who appeared to be talking to them.
One of the officers then punches the man in the face and knocks him to the ground. The man appears to be unsteady and dazed as officers attempt to get him up, and he slumps back over several times.
Shortly afterward, a brawl reportedly started between Detroit Police and another man.
White told the Detroit Police Board of Commissioners on Thursday that the punch was thrown after the man and others were involved in a fight with police.
"At one point (the man) did in fact aggressively approach the officer," White said. "The problem is — and looking at the information, and looking at the video that I've seen — I do not see a threat at the point the officer encounters the subject the second time."
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Speaking to reporters on Monday, White conceded it "doesn't look good" for the officer involved.
"It appears to be an unprovoked use of force," White said, but added: "My job is to ensure that I look at all assets, all camera assets, all reports and render the appropriate decision from my position as a chief."
White said he also has concerns about the supervisor who was with the officer, and that the internal investigation is ongoing.
The fight came less than two months after a similar incident in Greektown, the city's popular entertainment district, also caught on video.