By Police1 Staff
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Burlington police are defending the actions of officers in a video of an arrest gone viral.
According to the Burlington Free Press, the 38-second video posted Sunday, titled ‘BPD Brutality,’ shows police officers struggle with a suspect during an arrest as a crowd accuses the officers of brutality.
Officers arrested 20-year-old suspect Shane Langevin after he reportedly punched a man and resisted. Police originally responded to the scene after receiving calls about a man climbing a telephone pole.
As Langevin resisted arrest, he hit Officer Ethan Czyzewski in the jaw and Officer Ryan Rabideau in the right eye, according to a police report of the incident. A TASER was then deployed to gain control of the suspect.
The video reportedly begins after that struggle. Langevin is hit multiple times by one of the officers and a pepper spray is used on a man who approaches the officers.
Police Chief Michael Schirling said the use of force was according to protocol.
“These strikes are consistent with officer training and are referred to as ‘distractionary strikes’ done in hopes of distracting or stunning someone to assist in gaining control,” Schirling said.
Deputy Chief Bruce Bovat also backed Schirling’s claim that the use of force was per policy.
“To the naked eye, to someone just viewing this five or 10 seconds of YouTube video and seeing somebody down on the ground having no context of why they’re on the ground and seeing an officer striking like that, I can see why they may jump to that conclusion [brutality],” Deputy Chief Bruce Bovat told the Burlington Free Press.
Langevin has been charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and two counts of simple assault on a law enforcement officer. The bystander who got involved, Michael Mazza, has been charged with impeding a public officer.