‘He was screaming for help’: Bus rider records video of apparent Seattle police beating

After a video recorded multiple Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers appearing to strike and beat a man at a bus stop while attempting to arrest him, the Office of Police Accountability has opened an investigation into the incident.

The video, recorded on a cellphone by Deeanthony Marcell and distributed on social media, caught the man being hit yelling, “Police brutality!”

“He was screaming for his life because he was being attacked,” Marcell told KIRO Newsradio. “And he was yelling out that he was disabled. He was screaming for help. He was asking us to call somebody. And that’s when it hit me because I’m like, ‘Who do we call?’ And that’s the answer I need from this whole entire situation.”

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One officer was using a baton and the other was using his fists, according to the video capturing the incident. At one point, one of the officers appeared to put his knee on the man’s upper back. SPD policy prohibits such tactics by its officers.

“I need to know when situations like this happen, what do we do?” Marcell continued. “Because I feel like there’s other ways to approach somebody to arrest them or apprehend them. You shouldn’t have to do that.”

The video Deeanthony Marcell recorded does not show what led to the confrontation, or why the man was under arrest.

SPD Interim Chief Sue Rahr released a statement regarding the incident.

“I have reviewed the video that began circulating on social media over the weekend and completely understand the community’s concern,” Rahr stated. “While OPA is conducting a full comprehensive investigation as required by our accountability process, my staff is gathering information, including all available videos for my review so I have a more complete picture of the entire incident.”

A spokesperson for the city of Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability (OPA) confirmed to KIRO Newsradio Wednesday the office has opened an “intake investigation” into the incident, but it will not comment any further.

More on the incident: OPA opens probe over incident where Seattle officers appear to be beating man

A spokesperson for Seattle City Council member Tammy Morales, the representative of the area where the incident took place, told KING 5 the matter is serious and said their office will look into what happened.

KIRO Newsradio has requested body camera footage of the arrest from the SPD.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.