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FIGHTING DIRTY
Shocking footage shows cop punching suspect in the head as he appears to bite officer’s leg
South Yorkshire Police launch probe after incident in Cumberland Street, Sheffield
SHOCKING video has emerged showing a brutal interaction between a police officer and a suspect.
The footage – filmed on Cumberland Street, Sheffield – shows the cop repeatedly punching a man in the head.
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According to a witness who filmed the incident on his phone, the man was wrestled to the floor outside shops at approximately 6.28pm on Tuesday.
He said: "I got off a bus and saw this scuffling going on with this guy on the floor.
"I got my phone out, and then he was punched in the head five times. It was really shocking – there was no justification for it all that I could see.
"There were a few other police officers on the scene. One police officer was shouting at the arrested man to shut up though he didn't seem to be saying anything – he was just being punched.
“My bus came along and I left before I saw anymore.
“There were a few other people at the bus-stop at the time.”
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But all is not what it might seem in the three-second-long clip.
It is now understood the officer’s leg was being bitten by the suspect – and he was striking him in a desperate attempt to loosen the grip of his jaws.
South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation on Friday after the footage was brought to their attention.
The officer involved has not been suspended – but the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) warned it was poised to take over the inquiry if the force refers the incident to them.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the concerns raised and take matters such as this extremely seriously.
“We have referred the matter to our Professional Standards Department and the officer involved has been identified.”
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South Yorkshire Police has faced calls to be disbanded recently after a series of high-profile setbacks.
In April an inquest found that the 96 victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster were unlawfully killed – partly due to police failings.
Chief Constable David Crompton was then suspended over claims he had lost the confidence of the public over the force’s conduct at the hearings.
Sir Cliff Richard, 75, is suing South Yorkshire Police over their probe into sex abuse allegations against him.
The force was criticised in a 2014 report into the sexual abuse of 1,400 children in Rotherham.
And in recent days it’s been reported South Yorkshire Police is facing an inquiry into their tactics at the infamous Battle of Orgreave during the 1984 Miners’ Strike.
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