{"id":368118,"date":"2018-07-05T11:57:08","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T10:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/shocking-austin-arrest-video-sparks-internal-review-video-rt-us-news\/"},"modified":"2018-07-05T11:57:08","modified_gmt":"2018-07-05T10:57:08","slug":"shocking-austin-arrest-video-sparks-internal-review-video-rt-us-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/newswire\/shocking-austin-arrest-video-sparks-internal-review-video-rt-us-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Shocking Austin arrest video sparks internal review (VIDEO) \u2014 RT US News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Startling video footage of an Austin police officer repeatedly punching a restrained man has prompted an internal probe. <\/p>\n

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The footage was captured outside Rain nightclub in downtown Austin, Texas on Wednesday by bystander Patrick King, who posted it online expressing his rage at the \u201cbeating\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The video shows the man, who is on the ground, being punched at least five times as he is surrounded by officers during an arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo last night I was out with some friends in Austin and witnessed police brutality first hand for the first time,\u201d<\/em> King wrote on Twitter. He admitted that he was unsure what the man in the video did but added that he was angered by the police response. \u201cI left the scene with rage, anger, and disappointment,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n

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Last night I was out with some friends in Austin and witnessed police brutality first hand for the first time. It\u2019s a different feeling when you see it on tv or all over the internet than when you actually witness it happening no less than 10 feet in front of you. @Austin_Police<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/MEXc1l5OtS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Patty (@YingYangPK) July 4, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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An investigation into the Independence Day arrest is now underway, according to Austin Police chief Brian Manley. \u201cAs is standard protocol, the officers chain of command is reviewing all details surrounding this incident,\u201d<\/em> he explained.<\/p>\n

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Thank you for bringing this video to our attention and allowing us time to look into the incident. As is standard protocol, the officers chain of command is reviewing all details surrounding this incident. https:\/\/t.co\/bum5XKMAkC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chief Brian Manley (@chief_manley) July 4, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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However, the head of the Austin Police Association, which represents around 1,800 officers, has said that there is more to the situation than meets the eye. Ken Casaday said that the footage does not show the lead up to the flurry of punches nor that the suspect was in possession of a knife.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you, as the union president, it looks bad,\u201d<\/em> Casaday told KXAN<\/a> news. He suggested that the presence of a knife could have seen police use deadly force. However, he said he is thankful that \u201cthey just had to use their taser and punch him a couple of times.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Texas justice? Video emerges of police chief telling homeless man to leave town<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he was on the ground, you can see the officers punching, which they freely admit to. What you can\u2019t see is the subject grabbing for a 6-inch knife that he had on his waistband, that the officers not only saw, but were told that was there by people from the nightclub,\u201d<\/em> Casaday said.<\/p>\n

RT.com has contacted the Austin Police Department for further details on the incident but has yet to receive a response.<\/p>\n

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