A police officer was caught on camera kneeling on the suspect’s head and pressing his head towards the pavement as the man was screaming.
The violent arrest occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where three officers were spotted restraining a suspect in front of St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital.
In the video taken by one of the passersby, one of the police officers is seen pressing on the suspect’s head using his body weight before proceeding to kneel on his head as the other officers are handcuffing him.
Following the incident, the footage was shared on social media where outraged viewers compared the arrest to that of George Floyd who died after former officer Derek Chauvin had been kneeling on his neck for several minutes.
According to Justan Parker, the video serves as proof that “black and brown lives don’t matter to APD or to the city.”
Responding to the footage was also Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who has been representing the Floyd family following the death of George.
“Allentown Police held down this man’s face to the pavement and then one of its officers placed their knee on his neck!!” he wrote.
“This happened yesterday and is exactly what led to #GeorgeFloyd’s death.”
Following the incident, hundreds of protesters rallied in Allentown to demand justice and answers related to the arrest.
Responding to the upset locals was Allentown Police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. who vowed to look into the case and provide the public with updates as soon as possible.
“We’re going to take a look at it. We’re going to go through everything. And we’re going to give you an update as soon as we can,” Granitz Jr. said as per the Morning Call.
Addressing the issue was also Mayor Ray O’Connell who branded the footage “disturbing” and asked the protesters to remain patient while the authorities “gather all the facts and information.”
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Replaced!