Police in Huntsville, Alabama are reviewing an incident in which an officer repeatedly stomped on a man’s leg while making an arrest. The man’s mother said he is mentally ill and accused the police of using excessive force.
The altercation occurred while the man, identified by media as Kemontae Hobbs, was being subdued at a local gas station. An eyewitness video shared on Facebook Live shows an officer sitting on top of Hobbs, who is lying on the ground, as he tries to cuff him. As the two men wrestle, a woman can be heard screaming for help in the background. Moments later, two officers rush over to help their colleague.
One of the cops standing over Hobbs begins to stomp on his leg as he shouts: “Stop f**king resisting!”
“Stop resisting! Stop!” he yells as he lands more blows on Hobbs’ leg. Soon after another officer moves in, grabbing both of Hobbs’ legs as the cops order him to cooperate. After being cuffed, Hobbs gets to his feet and is led away by the group of police.
The 22-year-old was charged with obstructing government operations and resisting arrest. However, there are conflicting reports about why he was targeted by police in the first place. A Facebook group called Huntsville Bail Fund claimed that the police were called because Hobbs was panhandling outside the gas station. The group, which is trying to secure the man’s release, said that police attempted to break Hobbs’ leg during his arrest.
Hobbs suffers from schizophrenia, his mother, Kimberlyn Hayes, told local media. According to the bail fund group, Huntsville Police knew that he was mentally ill but “treated him like this anyway.”
Hayes is now considering hiring an attorney to press the police over the incident.
“The police just think they can do what they want and beat on people. That’s not right,” she said.
Also on rt.com WATCH: Homeless man attacks & knocks down female police officer in San Francisco’s Chinatown, as bystanders rush to helpCapt. Michael Johnson of the Huntsville Police Department responded to media requests by acknowledging that he was aware of the video, and that they were investigating.
The video has already caught the attention of local lawmakers. Huntsville City Councilman Devyn Keith said the video shows “reckless use of force” and expressed bafflement over how the officer “automatically” began stomping on the suspect.
Some reports pointed to the fact that Hobbs is black while the officers who arrested him were white, hinting at a potential racial motive for his treatment.
Hobbs was detained last year after officers responded to a domestic violence call. A cop at the scene allegedly had to use his taser to subdue Hobbs after he resisted arrest.
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