A Saturday night trip to Walmart in Lovejoy, Ga., took a surreal turn as shoppers witnessed a police officer allegedly lift up a man who was causing a disturbance and slam him to the ground.
According to a press release posted to Facebook Sunday by Lovejoy Police Chief Steve Wright, the officer is on leave and the incident is under review. It referenced video from the scene that appears to show the unnamed officer “engaged in a physical encounter with an individual whose hands appear to be positioned behind his back.”
“The officer just lifted him up, and to everyone’s surprise, BAM! Slammed him to the ground, and you could hear the impact to the floor,” said a woman identified by FOX 5 as Ms. DeeDee. She recorded the incident on April 25 and spoke to the outlet about it.
Per Ms. DeeDee’s account, the man called the officer names before the cop slammed him to the ground. Even so, she thought the use of force was excessive.
“I thought he was dead, everybody thought he died, clocked out,” she explained to FOX 5, adding, “I think he should be fired because why bring this energy back?”
Thankfully, the man was not dead. FOX 5’s report said the man was taken to an area hospital after the incident, citing the police chief, though his condition was not known as of Monday. He is not facing any charges and his identity has not been released.
Lovejoy PD’s press release said the department “promptly initiated an administrative review,” after it became aware of the incident video. The officer is to remain on leave pending the outcome of a “comprehensive internal investigation,” according to the department.
It also said the investigation will include “an evaluation of all available evidence, including video footage, incident reports, witness statements, and applicable departmental policies and training.” As the process moves forward, more information will be released, and the department said it is committed to transparency and accountability.
“Chief Wright said he is currently investigating why the officer used that level of force,” FOX 5 reported. “He expects to wrap up the internal investigation by the end of this week.”
Anyone with information related to this incident can contact the Lovejoy Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit at 678-610-9748.
