A Sacramento, Calif., officer was placed on administrative leave Tuesday after dash camera footage showed him beating a jaywalker.
The Sacramento Police Department plans to launch a criminal investigation into the unidentified officer’s actions, reports Fox News.
“I can tell you the actions of this officer does not represent the men and women of this police department,” Sacramento Police Sergeant Bryce Heinlein announced. “I can tell you the video speaks for itself, and you know obviously we’re taking this seriously.”
The officer approached Nandi Cain, Jr., 24, after he allegedly jaywalked Monday afternoon. Police maintained the officer told Cain multiple times to stop, but Cain ignored him. The pair argued and Cain took off his jacket, reportedly to show that he wasn’t armed.
Police said Cain took off his jacket to try and fight the officer. The officer then threw Cain to the ground and began to punch him repeatedly. Police arrested and charged Cain with resisting arrest but later dropped the charge.
The experience made Cain fear for his life, he said. “I could’ve tried to fight back but that’s when guns would’ve been pulled out and I would’ve gotten shot. I would’ve been dead,” he told Fox 40.
The department plans to turn over any information they gather from the investigation to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office who will decide how to proceed from there.
“It’s a disturbing incident. Based on the video, we don’t condone this behavior with any of our officers,” Heinlein added. “We are much better than that. We hold ourselves to a very high standard.”
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