Investigation Launched After Video Surfaces Showing Alabama Officer Stomping On Man’s Leg

An Alabama police department is investigating after viewing Facebook Live video footage of an officer repeatedly stomping on a man’s leg.

WHNT reports that the incident took place Sunday night at a Mapco gas station. It’s unclear what happened before the video picks up, which shows several Huntsville Police Officers struggling with a man on the ground. Another officer runs into the frame and immediately begins stomping on the man’s leg.

Based on a comparison of jail records and a shot from the video, WHNT identified the man as Kemontae Hobbs, 22, of Huntsville. He was charged with obstructing government operations and resisting arrest.

The man who filmed the altercation, Bruce Turner, told the outlet he was told by a gas station employee that the man had been harassing women in the store. Turner noticed an officer engaged with the man and continued to walk to the back of the store to get water. When he saw more officers entering the store, he decided to pull out his phone and record.

The minute and a half long video has been viewed over 12,000 times on Facebook with additional views on Twitter.

A spokesman for HPD told the outlet they would have a statement in the next few days. A Huntsville councilman commented on the video, calling the officers’ use of force “reckless.”