A white police officer in Virginia, US, has been charged with assault after law enforcement officials ruled that he used "unacceptable" force on a black man, which involved firing his stun gun and pressing a knee to the individual's back, per ABC7.
Fairfax County Police Department officer, Tyler Timberlake, was arrested on Saturday after his altercation with the man was caught on police body camera on Friday. He is facing up to three years in prison.
Fairfax County police have released bodycam footage of the incident, which appears to show Timberlake using a stun gun on the man as he walks away from him, without provocation.
The individual in question can be heard crying out, "I can't breathe," as the officer presses a knee to his back.
Upsetting bodycam footage from the incident can be seen below:The department has since detailed that Timberlake and other officers were responding to a call of a man in crisis walking around in the roadway.
In a news conference, held on Saturday evening, Chief of Police Col. Edwin C. Roessler Jr., said that the footage showed the law enforcement official violating the department's use-of-force policies, as well as committing "criminal acts" that "violate our oath of office" and "ignore the sanctity of human life."
"The video also erodes the public's trust of police officers, not only in Fairfax County but throughout this world," Roessler Jr added. "These acts are unacceptable."
Timberlake, who is an eight-year veteran of the force, as well as the other officers involved, have been relieved of their police duties, and put on administrative leave, according to the department on Saturday.
"We can all agree that the footage of this incident is unsettling. I want our community to know that we are pursuing charges that are in line with current law," Steve Descano, Fairfax County's commonwealth's attorney stated.
This comes after protests over police brutality continue to sweep much of the US.
George Floyd, a black man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, ex-cop Derek Chauvin - a 19-year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd subsequently passed away.
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