Ohio cop filmed repeatedly punching black man placed on paid leave

A police officer in Euclid, Ohio, has been placed on paid administrative leave after he was caught on camera repeatedly punching a black man in the face after pulling him over for running through an intersection.

The violent arrest was recorded by a witness and uploaded to Facebook, prompting protesters to march on Euclid’s City Hall twice since it was posted August 12.

Police released the official dashcam video on August 14 and placed the officer — Michael Amiott— on paid administrative leave while it reviews the footage, according to Cleveland.com.

Both videos show Officer Amiott asking 25-year-old Richard Hubbard III to step out of the car before shoving him against it and kicking him. As the two men struggled, video shows, a second officer, who has not been publicly identified, joined the fray, holding Hubbard down as Amiott straddled his chest, punching him repeatedly before handcuffing and arresting him.

A woman who was traveling in the vehicle with Hubbard — who also appeared to film part of the encounter — was also handcuffed by police and escorted to a patrol car.

According to the ACLU of Ohio, Amiott resigned from a previous post in neighboring Mentor, Ohio, after conducting a traffic stop without probable cause. Amiott was also involved in a recent altercation with a black city worker, Shawn George, according to local media.

The Euclid Police did not immediately respond to VICE News’ request for comment, but in a statement to the New York Times, Euclid Chief of Police Scott Meyer said, “I can understand and appreciate the great concern and alarm of those who have seen or heard of the videos involving the arrest of Richard Hubbard III. .. Our Officers are committed to proactively, conscientiously, and fairly addressing our very real crime control issues, particularly violent crime and gun crime.”

Euclid Mayor Kirsten Gail also promised her office would conduct a review of the incident.
“The videos of the incident on Saturday morning raise some very serious concerns,” Gail said in a statement released on the city’s website. “I can assure you the incident will be reviewed thoroughly and appropriate action will be taken.”