An Atlanta police officer and sergeant were removed from duty after video surfaced showing a woman being kicked in the head

By Deanna Hackney and Hollie Silverman, CNN

An officer and a sergeant with the Atlanta Police Department have been relieved of duty after a video surfaced on social media allegedly showing the sergeant kicking a woman in the head, authorities said Monday.

The action was taken after Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant and commanders within the Atlanta Police Department became aware of the video, according to a statement from the department shared on social media.

“On July 26, 2021, Chief Bryant and commanders within the Atlanta Police Department became aware of a video, posted on social media, showing an Atlanta Police sergeant kicking a woman in her head,” the statement said. “Upon reviewing the video, the actions of the sergeant appear to be unacceptable and we are also concerned with the apparent lack of reaction from another officer present during the incident.”

“The decision was made to immediately relieve both employees from duty, with the sergeant placed on unpaid suspension and the officer placed on administrative assignment,” the statement added.

The officer and sergeant involved have not been named and the woman involved has not been identified.

In a 30-second video clip posted to social media purported to be of the incident, a woman is seen lying face down on the ground with her hands cuffed behind her back. A woman in a police uniform stands next to her and a male in uniform stands in front of her. As the handcuffed woman raises her head, the male kicks her in the head.

Another male officer, who didn’t appear to see the kick, walks by. The female officer and the second male officer then try to turn the woman over before the video clip ends.

It is unclear from the clip what happened before or after the incident or who recorded the video.

A summary of the original call provided by the Atlanta Police Department said officers were dispatched to a “person armed” call around 12:30 p.m. Monday. The caller said a woman who was walking around the area had pointed a gun at several people, according to the summary.

When the officers arrived on the scene, they were able to locate and detain the woman.

Atlanta police recovered a firearm at the scene, officer Steve Avery told CNN.

“Officers became concerned with the female’s mental health and requested Grady EMS transport her to the hospital for evaluation. The female was not charged,” the summary said.

The Atlanta Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards (OPS) was directed to open an investigation into all employees at the scene, the department said in its statement.

The statement said Bryant will monitor the progress of this “expedited investigation” and review the findings to determine a course of action.

“The actions of those in the video appear to fall outside our standards and training” the statement said. “However, it is important for the Office of Professional Standards to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the facts surrounding this incident.”

The-CNN-Wire
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