Three American police officers have been suspended over a video appeared to show two deputies and an officer beating a suspect under arrest.
The shocking footage shows the suspect lying on the ground as three men in uniform punch him, knee him, and bash his head on the ground - and has sparked widespread outrage online.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante issued a statement Sunday evening, confirming two county deputies will be suspended during the course of the Arkansas state police's investigation into the incident and the sheriff's office's internal investigation. A Mulberry police officer also was suspended.
"I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter," Damante said.
Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously," Gregory said.
According to police, a report indicated that a man was making threats to a convenience store employee in Mulberry - a city about 140 miles northwest of state capital Little Rock - on Sunday morning.
Police said when the officers confronted the man, he pushed a deputy to the ground and punched the back of his head, leading to the arrest seen in the video.
In the video, the three law enforcement officers are seen on top of the suspect, sometimes striking him with clenched fists.
The unidentified man was arrested and taken to a local hospital. He faces charges of terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, police said.
No further information was immediately available.
