Thorough investigation promised into alleged police brutality
Seattle police detained three people including one Hispanic man in their hunt for possible armed robbery suspects. The video shows a man lying face down without handcuffs and not under arrest.
On the video, you can hear an officer telling the man: "You got me? I'm going to beat the (expletive) Mexican piss out of you homey. You feel me?"
Seconds later, the man moves his hand, appearing to wipe his eye. The officer kicks him in the head as he wipes his boot on his hand. A female officer stomps on the his leg.
Police realize they detained the wrong man, lift him up, and let him go. The video does not show a medic arriving on scene, even though the man has cuts on his face, and appears to have trouble walking.
"I want you to relax your weight on the car, OK?" an officer is heard saying. "Put your hands back so you don't fall down."
A freelance photographer captured the video.
"So, they kicked you in the head man?" the photographer asked the victim. "Yeah they did," he replied.
When asked why, the victim replied: "I don't know. They just kicked me in the head, they knocked me in the head." He added he had nothing to do with what was going on.
The executive director of One America, an immigrant advocacy organization, said the video was just awful.
"The language that was used was just despicable, horrendous language," said Pramila Jayapal. "Language that was used was racist and the violence... there was no reason."
Jayapal also sits on a citizen panel that will help select the new Seattle police chief.
Interim Seattle Chief John Diaz hasn't seen the video, but has ordered an investigation.
"I do have to say that if what I have to understand is on the video and what I heard is on the video, it's very disturbing to me," Diaz said. "There is going to be a thorough investigation."
Both Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and the Seattle City Council are expressing their concern about this incident and say they're waiting for a full report on the internal investigation.
The victim's name has not been released.