Hennepin County reviewing deputies’ actions after video shows them punching man during arrest
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The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing the actions of two deputies who were recorded striking a man in the head, while holding him down during an arrest in south Minneapolis last month.
The detectives remain on active duty while the office works to “determine appropriate next steps,” according to public information officer Megan Larson.
Larson said the detectives had reported the use of force, as required, after the incident on Jan. 9.
The one-minute clip captures deputies yelling at the 34-year-old man to put his hand back and punching him in the head, while bystanders call out the use of force. One onlooker protests that the man is not resisting. The video does not show what happened before the man was pinned down on his stomach on the ground of a parking lot near Franklin Avenue.
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The video has more than 90,000 views on Facebook, with extensive comments decrying the deputies’ actions.
The man was arrested for allegedly possessing a firearm, including an extended magazine, as a felon, as well as third degree possession of a controlled substance, according to Larson who said those reports were submitted for charging consideration.
The Hennepin County jail roster shows he was let go the next day and court records show charges have not been brought forward. A spokesperson said the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the underlying case.
“Additionally, we are aware of the video taken by a member of the public as the arrest was made,” the statement reads. “No case has been submitted to our office regarding the actions of the law enforcement officers making the arrest. If a case is submitted to our office, it will be reviewed under the new protocol that was recently developed and released.”
The new policy aims to reach a case decision for investigations into law enforcement within 60 days, as opposed to dragging cases out for more than a year at times.
