Disturbing video of a Philadelphia man whose family says he was violently beaten, kicked and tased by at least a dozen officers has gone viral and prompted internal affairs to open an investigation.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, police stopped Tyree Carroll, 22, on April 4, and the encounter was captured by Los Angeles-based blogger Jasmyne Cannick, who loaded the video to her YouTube channel on Wednesday.
Carroll's family told the newspaper that he was stopped for riding his bike the wrong way down a one-way street. The video begins after Carroll has gotten off his bike.
The grainy footage starts with three officers attempting to arrest Carroll. Carroll is taken to the ground and appears to be hit several times. More officers arrive, and one is heard yelling, "You're getting the f—king Taser. Here I come." Several more officers show up and appear to kick Carroll. An officer can be seen holding what looks like a Taser, but it is unclear whether he actual fires the weapon.
Officers can be heard yelling for Carroll to put his hands behind his back, and an officer shouts, "He f—king bit me."
An officer yells, "Stop!" The other officers then back away and Carroll is taken into custody.
Court records viewed by the Daily News show that Carroll has been charged with "drug offenses, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment."
Carroll reportedly told his family that he did bite the officer but did so only because he has asthma and the officer's hand was over his mouth, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Lt. John Stanford, a police spokesman, told the Daily News on Wednesday "that the department was made aware of the video shortly after it was posted and that 'an investigation into the matter is underway.' "
Stanford added that the investigators are still working to identify all of the officers involved in the arrest.
According to the Daily News, at the time of his most recent encounter with police, "Carroll was on probation from a 2014 guilty plea for drug possession."
Read more at the Philadelphia Daily News.