Cincinnati police investigate video of arrest that appears on social media

Cincinnati police have launched an investigation after a video of police officers arresting a man downtown went viral on social media.

On Monday, a Facebook user named Eddie Guado posted a video of several Cincinnati police officers arresting an unidentified man at a bus stop in Government Square.

Cincinnati police said in a statement Wednesday that they were aware of the video and were currently investigating the incident with the Citizen Complaint Authority, which is conducting a “neutral, independent review.”

The statement also said the arrest took place around 5 p.m. Saturday near 500 Government Square and involved several officers and three citizens.

The video begins in the middle of an argument between a police officer, the man and a woman. The police officer attempts to shock the man with a taser before he and other officers drag the man onto a bus stop bench. As the officers attempt to restrain the man on the bench, one of the officers uses pepper spray.

The video then shows the officers backing away from the man for a few moments and ordering him to put his hands behind his head several times before one of them uses a taser to shock the man. The man is then arrested.

By Wednesday evening, the video had more than 130,000 likes and more than 18,000 shares on Facebook.

“We as an agency understand that a video like this generates many comments, concerns and opinions and can damage public trust,” Cincinnati Police Lt. John Cunningham said in the statement. “We are committed to transparency and the safety of our officers and citizens will always be our top priority. Situations like this allow us all to have honest conversations to grow together, learn together and reach our full potential as a strong city.”

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