2nd Officer On Leave After Video Showing Teen Being Struck
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A second officer with the Richfield Police Department has been placed on paid administrative leave after a Twitter video was released that appeared to show the officer hitting a teenager.
The incident happened Saturday night. Nineteen-year-old Kamal Gelle says he was pulled over and given a citation for careless driving. Gelle says he then got out of his car to talk on his phone.
Related: Watch the Twitter video [Warning: Video contains strong language]
He says that's when the officer pushed him and hit him in the side of his head. Gelle says his friends then approached the officer, but that's not on video.
"The Richfield Police Department is dedicated to fairness, transparency and maintaining good community relations," the department said. "The department appreciates Omar Jamal's willingness to meet. The Richfield Police Department takes these complaints very seriously and will continue to conduct a thorough investigation."
The first officer was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure during investigations of this nature. On Wednesday, the Police Department said that another officer had also been placed on leave.
The department said that they have requested the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conduct the investigation, to prevent any potential conflicts of interest.