LOUISVILLE, Ky. 鈥� A police officer in Kentucky was seen on video repeatedly punching a protester in the head while the man was face down on the ground and being arrested by several officers during a police brutality protest Sunday afternoon.
Several Louisville Metro police officers were seen in a Facebook video of 29-year-old Denorver 鈥淒ee鈥� Garrett being arrested near Jefferson Square Park, the site of numerous demonstrations over police brutality and the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot and killed by Louisville police in March 2020.
In the video, an officer attempting to handcuff Garrett tells him several times to 鈥渟top flexing.鈥� The officer then yells 鈥渟top鈥� once more before multiple officers force Garrett to the ground. The initial officer then punches Garrett's head at least three times while onlookers scream at officers to stop. It appeared Garrett's glasses were broken in the struggle.
News outlets reported an arrest citation stated Garrett 鈥渨as causing a disturbance鈥� in the middle of the street for about 30 minutes prior to his arrest. The citation said Garrett 鈥渞esisted the officers鈥� movements to put his hands together close enough to put handcuffs on鈥� and later the officer took Garrett to the ground and 鈥渄elivered 2-3 closed hand strikes鈥� to his face.
Garrett was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Police Chief Erika Shields said in a statement to news outlets that the video 鈥渞aises serious questions and is not consistent with LMPD training.鈥� Shields said the department is investigating the officer鈥檚 conduct.
It鈥檚 unclear whether the officer was placed on leave. The names of the officers involved weren鈥檛 immediately released.
Jaime Hendricks, who took the video, told the Courier Journal that Garrett was protesting in the crosswalk, carrying a large cross that has made him recognizable at local demonstrations.
Hendricks said she watched the arrest and didn't see Garrett resisting the officers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unreal to me that that just happened right in front of me,鈥� Hendricks said. 鈥淗e was just making his voice heard, and he has a right to do that.鈥�
The Associated Press
