Two Seattle police officers are under investigation after a bystander recorded them beating a man with their batons at a bus stop last week.
In the video, which was posted online and first reported by NBC affiliate KING 5-TV, two officers can be seen hitting a man with their batons last Friday afternoon. In the 40-second clip, one of the officers appears to grab the man’s hair before he uses a knee to pin him down.
The video does not show what occurred before the officers started beating the man.
Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability, a city watchdog agency, said it was investigating the encounter. Jessica Schreindl, a spokesperson for the agency, said it had received several complaints, some of which originated from within the police department.
The city’s interim police chief, Sue Rahr, who took over last week for the former embattled chief, Adrian Diaz, said she had reviewed the video and understood the concern it had generated.
“While OPA is conducting a full comprehensive investigation as required by our accountability process, my staff is gathering information, including all available videos for my review so I have a more complete picture of the entire incident,” she said in a statement.
The police department did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the officers had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is being conducted. The department also did not respond to a request for comment about the man’s identity and condition and whether he was arrested or charged with a crime. The Seattle Police Officers Guild, the police union, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The investigation comes at a turbulent time for the police department. Last week, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that Rahr would replace Diaz. At least six officers have sued Diaz, accusing him of discriminating against women and people of color.
Deeanthony Marcell, who recorded the video, also uploaded it to his Instagram, where it had been viewed nearly 15,000 times as of Thursday afternoon. Marcell, a musician, said he was on a bus headed to a rehearsal when he came upon the incident in South Seattle.
“I have a lot of push on social media,” Marcell said in an interview Thursday night. “And I know I have a lot of engagement.”
His video appears to have prompted some of the complaints submitted to the Office of Police Accountability. He said multiple people told him it had moved them to act.
“They told me in the comments that they had filed a complaint,” he said. “They said, ‘I filed a complaint, you should, too.’ Multiple people told me they had done it.”
He said that he did not know what preceded the beating but that he believed he was witnessing an injustice. The officers were likely unaware they were being recorded, he said, because the area was inaccessible by foot. Marcell said the man was screaming for help as he was beaten.
“If he did something wrong, I’m not saying he shouldn’t go to jail or get arrested,” Marcell said. “He should.”
He questioned whether the officers could have used other tactics to contain the man, such as Mace or a Taser, because he believes their response appeared excessive.
“No matter what he did, that doesn’t justify their response,” he said.