A video that went viral on social media shows a London police officer punching a teenager in the face while the person recording yells, “Look what he’s doing, look!”
The video, just a few seconds long, was shared on Twitter by a socialist workers group in England on Friday and has since been viewed 32,000 times.
The video begins with the cop with one arm around the neck of the victim. The person recording moves closer while saying, “Look what he’s doing.”
The camera moves closer to the officer who wrestles with the victim before punching him in the face. Sirens and screams can be heard in the background.
The video becomes blurry as chaos ensues, but the victim is heard yelling, “Please, please!” Someone in the background asks for the incident to be recorded.
According to the Guardian, police and teens “clashed” on Dec. 8 at the school in North London, and at least three officers were injured.
Police were reportedly arresting four 16-year-old boys for a suspected assault of emergency personnel. One Black male reportedly sustained a facial injury, though it’s not clear if he’s the individual seen in the video. He has since been released from the hospital, and the four teens were released on bail.
The incident is being investigated by a watchdog. It prompted many to share the incident with hashtags about police brutality in England.
According to the police, after officers detained a suspect, a “crowd formed and officers made a circle around the male.”
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H/T the Guardian