The Hayward Police Department is investigating cellphone video footage of several Hayward police officers punching and kicking a man while holding him to the ground in an effort to arrest him.
Hayward police arrested Keith Swain, 35, on Sunday for alleged illegal possession of a gun. Multiple videos reportedly show officers pointing guns at Swain, who knelt and subsequently lied down on the ground with his hands behind his head.
The videos then showed the officers pinning Swain to the ground while one officer punches him multiple times. Another officer stands to the side with a red bean bag gun.
In a statement, Hayward police Capt. Bryan Matthews said the department’s Internal Affairs Unit is investigating the circumstances of Swain’s arrest and that the department “takes all use of force incidents seriously.”
Matthews said that the department typically interviews multiple witnesses and analyzes several hours of video footage when investigating uses of force by officers.
“We do not draw conclusions about whether the officers acted consistent with department policies and the law until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete,” Matthews said. “We recognize the community entrusts us with the legal authority to carry out our duties and we do not that that responsibility lightly.”
The department did not disclose the names of the officers involved in the incident.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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