CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There is an internal affairs investigation underway after video surfaced involving a CMPD officer and what appears to be a police beating.
The incident happened on Tuesday following a hit-and-run accident. Police say the suspect would not comply, and so they had to force him-- and the whole thing was captured on video.
The hit-and-run ended at an apartment complex, when officers caught up with the suspect who was allegedly involved in the crash.
Video captured by bystanders shows the suspect on the ground with several officers restraining him and one officer punching him.
Sergeant Todd Walther with the Fraternal Order of Police said, "This is only two seconds of an event that took place over a matter of 20 minutes to 15 minutes."
Sergeant Walther heads the Fraternal Order of Police. He says, in his personal opinion, what the officers are doing is proper, and that sometimes officers have to deliver blows get a person's arms behind their back.
"It's like hitting that funny bone to make that muscle go numb, then that officer can pull that arm away from whatever it may be."
Dr. Joe Kuhns of UNCC's Criminal Justice Department says officers across the country are trained to use strikes to gain compliance.
"We train officers to use the force that is necessary to exert control over the person or the situation, and a lot of that is contingent on the individual who is being asked to comply," Dr. Kuhns explained.
The officers on the scene wore body cameras, so internal affairs will have access to that video, but the people who shot the video may not talk.
"These folks that sent in the video were asked and they denied that they ever saw anything-- that's our concern there, why wouldn't you cooperate and be involved."