DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit police have launched an internal investigation after video posted to social media surfaced Monday showing multiple officers using force during an arrest.
In the video, police officers are seen trying to handcuff a man on the porch of a home on the city's east side near State Fair and Gratiot.
The DPD officers were reportedly trying to arrest the man for breaking into a car, but he and his neighbors insist he did nothing wrong. They say he had locked his own keys in his car and was trying to use a hanger to try and open the door.
Bystanders in the neighborhood are heard shouting at police as multiple officers wrestle with the man on the porch.
It was not clear whether the man, who was wearing a "Black Lives Matter" sweatshirt, was taken into custody. The names of the officers have not been released.
In a statement released Tuesday, police officials say the incident has been referred to the Department's Professional Standards Bureau for further investigation.
"The Department is in possession of video depicting several officers using force to effect the arrest of an individual on the east side of Detroit," the statement says. "This matter has been referred to the Department's Professional Standards Bureau for further investigation into the facts and circumstances of the incident, including the reason for the initial stop, the tactics employed by the officers, and the reasonableness of the force used."
Officials say the department will "remain fully transparent in its inquiry into this troubling incident and will provide an update as soon as practicable."
