click to enlarge 
Courtesy of Spenn DeBabii - Facebook
A Facebook video went viral last night that showed Akron police officers beating a man who was pinned to the ground. The video captured officers using chokeholds on the suspect, whose name has not been released, as well as Tasers and about 30 punches.
WKYC reports that officers are defending their decision, saying the suspect, was a wanted Cleveland fugitive and under the influence of drugs.
The video was shot on the 300 block of Para Avenue, and shows two officers trying to pin a man on his stomach. The duo struggles to do so, then deploys a Taser several times.
"You're going to get [the Taser] again!" one of them warns him.
Several minutes later, two more cops show up. One sits on the man while another punches him some 30 times. Backup continues to arrive, and by the end of the incident a whole crowd of officers was on hand. Bystanders screamed questions at the officers, with one saying “Y’all can’t be punching him like that!”
“Are you fucking kidding me, can’t you see him riding us?” a cop retorted.
Looking at the video it's really hard to tell if he was "riding" them, or if he was just recoiling in pain.
Spenn DeBabii, the recorder of the video, can be heard saying the man was a veteran that lived across the street who had just smoked weed, but wasn't doing anything other than walking and minding his own business.
After the takedown, the suspect was taken to the hospital, but officers say it was from the drugs he was on, not due to any injuries from the altercation. As of publication,
no officers have been put on suspension or leave and an investigation is underway.
You can see the full video of the encounter below:
