The violent arrest of a black man in Kentucky sparked a small protest Monday after video surfaced showing police officers punching the suspect before he was booked into jail wearing a neck brace.
The Courier Journal reports that Louisville police pulled over Jarrus Ransom, 32, on Sunday because of his SUV’s dark window tinting. It says an officer then noticed Ransom wasn’t correctly wearing his seat belt, smelled of marijuana and lunged at officers when soda was poured out of a can and “unidentified pills” fell out.
Video captured by Tonniqua Wales — and posted to Facebook — shows Ransom being pulled out of the SUV by three officers and thrown to the ground where another officer punches him. The video had been viewed more than 190,000 times at this writing.
WATCH BELOW: Video of black man’s violent arrest draws protest
Ransom is known to police. WAVE reports that the 32-year-old has been in and out of Louisville’s jail 14 times since 2004. Past offences include trafficking a controlled substance, assault, wanton endangerment and fleeing and evading police.
Community activist Neal Robertson joined two dozen other supporters Monday at the scene of the crime — a gas station near a Kroger store at 26th Street and Broadway. Robertson said what motivated the officers’ violent action is “irrelevant.”
“You are an officer,” Robertson told NBC. “We pay you to take care of us.”
Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said Monday that Chief Steve Conrad has reviewed body camera video and launched an internal investigation into Ransom’s arrest.
NBC reports that Ransom has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, resisting arrest and excessive window tint.
— with files from The Associated Press