GRPD officer placed on leave for hitting driver

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — An officer has been placed on paid administrative leave as the Grand Rapids Police Department investigates him for repeatedly punched a driver who was apparently resisting arrest.

Video of the incident that surfaced online shows the officer striking the driver close to 30 times in the leg. Police say the driver wasn't seriously hurt.

During a Monday afternoon press conference at GRPD headquarters, Interim Chief David Kiddle said that after watcing video and reading reports, he had "strong concerns" about the officer's actions.

"It appears that one officer was quick to escalate the situation beyond the point that was necessary to effect the arrest and gain compliance," Kiddle said.

That officer's name wasn't released.

Kiddle said one of his command officers brought the case to the Internal Affairs Unit Monday morning. That's when Kiddle was made aware of it.

He did make it clear that the arrest was appropriate and said that the driver wasn't going willingly. The driver was ultimately jailed for warrants, driving on a suspended license and resisting arrest.

The incident happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of California Street and National Avenue NW.

Kiddle said the officer pulled the driver over for speeding. The driver stopped in the driveway of a relative's home. Police say the man couldn't produce a driver's license, refused to tell the officer his name and then wouldn't get out of the car.

"Instead, the driver started his car, rolled up his window, started honking on his horn and reaching around inside the vehicle where the officer could not see," Kiddle said.

Kiddle said the officer ultimately broke out the driver's side window to unlock the door, used pepper spray on the driver and then pulled him from the car. Other officers soon responded and they used a Taser on the driver, who police say still wasn't cooperating.

"One officer who arrives to assist uses curse words and strikes the driver's thigh multiple times to gain compliance during the arrest," Kiddle described.

Video posted on Facebook and shared more than 3,000 times shows police shouting at the driver and using profanity while trying to get him out his car. The video shows the officer repeatedly punching the man after he was hit with the stun gun.

"Regardless of the individual's behavior or language, we have standards of professional conduct which clearly were not upheld in this situation," Kiddle said. "I will not, nor will any member here at GRPD, accept or tolerate force used beyond that which is necessary to safely make an arrest."

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