Fort Worth police have released a statement addressing an arrest video in which officers were seen striking a man while trying to handcuff him outside of an apartment complex Saturday.
"We acknowledge that the initial appearance of the video, absent comment from the FWPD, may raise questions," the statement said.
Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said police were still "actively investigating the incident" Sunday but that the department could provide some details about what happened.
The officers were dispatched to the Chaparral Apartments in the 6500 block of Red Sierra Drive on a disturbance call, according to the statement.
The suspect had become "combative" with Fort Worth firefighters, who had been at the scene, so the firefighters called police and asked them to respond, the statement said.
When officers arrived, the firefighters said the suspect appeared to be intoxicated and had attempted to assault them. The suspect fled on foot about three blocks to the 1900 block of Handley Drive, where he was taken into custody by the officers.
The video, which was posted Sunday on Facebook by the Next Generation Action Network activist group, depicted the officers struggling with the man and punching him as they attempted to handcuff him near a curb, which the police statement Sunday acknowledged.
"What the video does not depict is that it took 3 officers and 1 supervisor to effectively place the resisting subject into handcuffs, a struggle that lasted 4.5 minutes," the police statement said.
No further details about the incident were released Sunday.
