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Video appears to show police officer with knee on man's neck

2020-07-15T11:14:13.820Z


Police in Allentown, Pennsylvania said they launched an investigation following the appearance of a video showing an agent kneeling on a man's neck, while a second agent ...


The video shows the officer with his knee around the man's neck for about 8 seconds.

(CNN) - Police in Allentown, Pennsylvania said they launched an investigation following the appearance of a video showing an officer kneeling on a man's neck, while a second officer and one other person hold the subject's hands behind your back.

An investigation into the incident, which took place Saturday, is ongoing, Allentown Police Assistant Chief of Support Services, Bill Lake, told CNN.

A statement from the police chief indicates that the man was behaving erratically and was not cooperating with authorities when officers tried to contain him.

Agents were in a hospital emergency room on Saturday when they saw a man vomit and stumble across the street before stopping at the entrance to the emergency room, according to a statement from Chief Glenn Granitz. After officers and hospital personnel approached him, the man allegedly yelled at them and spat on them, the chief said in the statement.

"When officers attempted to contain the individual, everyone involved fell to the ground," Granitz said in the statement. "The individual remained uncooperative, requiring officers to restrain the individual and the hospital applied a saliva shield."

The man was treated and released from the hospital, according to the statement. He has not been identified and it is not clear if he suffered any injuries from the police who submitted him.

Granitz added that the investigation into the incident is proceeding rapidly.

Lake said the Allentown police chief, mayor, and other city officials met with community members Saturday night and early Sunday morning at the police station.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a statement that he will issue a statement upon completion of the investigation.

According to the Allentown Police Department's use of force policy issued on January 29, “The use of neck restraints or similar non-weapon (choke) control techniques is prohibited. Preventing imminent death or serious bodily injury to a member or citizen is the only possible exception to the ban. "

Video shows an agent's knee on the man's neck for about 8 seconds

The video, posted to Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley by a person who asked CNN to remain anonymous, begins with someone driving on the scene, who appears to be outside a hospital.

A person in a hospital gown is seen observing the incident and it appears that another person in a hospital gown is helping to keep the person on the ground.

When the man is on the ground with his hands behind his back, an agent places the elbow and then the knee on the subject's neck.

It is unclear what led to the recording of the video and what happened after it. It looks like the agent's elbow first and then his knee were on the man's neck for about eight seconds each.

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It is also unclear what medical condition the man was in at the time of the incident.

A person who was believed to be in the car a considerable distance away during filming, can be heard on the recording saying, "I thought we mattered" and "We didn't matter, brother."

Another can be heard saying "in his neck, brother", commenting on what he can see.

A person in a hospital gown approaches the cameraman, who says "you can't touch my phone," just before the video ends.

“Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley (BLMLV) is proud of our community against the latest case of police brutality here at home. Less than two weeks passed after the Allentown Police Department (APD) released its use of force policy, to remind us that it doesn't mean anything, ”Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley told CNN. "APD, the Mayor's administration and St. Luke's have been unable to offer the transparency and immediate action we seek."

Allentown Mayor Ray O'Connell's office told CNN they had no comment.

CNN has reached out to the Allentown Police Association and Saint Luke's Hospital for comment.

CNN's Madeline Holcombe and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-07-15

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