Georgia sheriff’s deputy placed on leave after video of violent arrest surfaces
A Georgia sheriff’s deputy has been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation, authorities said Saturday, after video surfaced on social media showing a violent arrest of a Black man.
Footage published on Instagram on Friday shows two law enforcement officials restraining a man on the pavement — with one of them throwing several punches — while a woman stands nearby, yelling and urging them to stop.
“Don’t kill him!” the woman shouts.
A Clayton County Sheriff’s vehicle sits nearby, as its blue sirens flash. In another auto, a small child watches from the back seat. The man was left bloodied.
The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement issued early Saturday that Sheriff Victor Hill ordered the investigation after “being made aware of a video posted on social media involving a Deputy using physical force on a man.” (WARNING: Disturbing video with explicit language).
The probe was launched Friday evening, the statement said. The deputy was not identified.
Another video published on social media appears to show a snippet from the vantage point of the woman.
Zippora Dunlap, of Atlanta, posted the clip on Facebook and wrote that her cousin was restrained. Dunlap, 27, added that the authorities stopped the car, a ride share with a busted taillight, and the driver didn’t have a license.
Lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd — the Black man killed beneath the knee of a Minneapolis cop — also shared video of the incident on social media.
“Unbelievable,” Crump tweeted. “ANOTHER Black man saying ‘I can’t breathe’ while being ASPHYXIATED by police!!”
Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, urged in a tweet that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation take over the probe.
