HARRISBURG, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video may be disturbing to some viewers. It depicts an officer using knee strikes against a person on the ground.
Officials are reviewing video of an arrest caught on video in Harrisburg that depicts an officer using knee strikes against a person detained on the ground.
The video was taken by someone passing by the scene in Harrisburg and posted on social media. It has since been shared hundreds of times.
In the video, the person is seen holding a large stick in one hand and a broken glass bottle in the other, with cuts on both their hands.
The person was likely involved in a serious car crash that happened nearby earlier in the morning, police said, as the person was the owner of one of the vehicles involved.
“The subject showed injuries prior to the officers even applying any kind of force at all,” said Cpt. Terry Weland.
In the video, police try to talk to the person and ask them to put down the stick and broken bottle. The person did not put the items down, and after about seven minutes, began running toward two officers.
At that point, officers used tasers on the person.
As shown in the video, 2hile attempting to handcuff the person, one officer struck the person three times with his leg. Officials said it was an appropriate measure to get the person’s hands out from underneath them without getting more glass cuts.
“There’s always something else you can do. After viewing this video footage from about seven different angles and hearing the way the officers were communicating towards each other… I don’t think there’s really a whole lot they could do any better,” Weland said.
Officials said they were glad bystanders shared the cell phone video, as both Mayor Wanda Williams and Police Commissioner Thomas Carter said they “absolutely supported” the actions of the officers.
“Things like this just keep us honest. We are a transparent agency and we have nothing to hide,” Carter said.
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said, "As our office may have to review this, I must reserve comment until we have all the facts."