(This story was updated with new information.)
A video showing a Daytona Beach police officer straddling a man who was handcuffed on the ground and then punching him several times in the head has sparked an investigation and the officer has been reassigned to administrative duty.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said “based on concerns I personally had” he directed that the department’s office of professional standards conduct a full review of the incident.
Young said the officer involved, J. Llinas, according to the report, has been placed on administrative assignment pending the outcome.
“After a review of the body camera footage as well as the video currently being shared online, I will acknowledge what many people have already said: The clip circulating online is concerning,” Young said.
Young did not respond to an email The News-Journal sent to him and his public affairs office. The office did provide the arrest report.
In the video, Young stated that he is committed to being transparent and will not offer his opinion while the internal investigation moves forward.
“We expect our officers to handle every encounter with professionalism, patience and sound judgment. De-escalation tactics are something we train on regularly and expect to be used whenever possible. Let me be clear. As chief I will always support the men and women of the Daytona Beach Police Department when they act within the law and within our policy. At the same time, when an officer falls short of those standards, it will be addressed swiftly and appropriately.”
Video shows Daytona Beach cop hitting man in handcuffs
David L. Anderson, 27, was originally stopped just after midnight March 12 on the corner of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. and Green Street for having an open container of alcohol.
Llinas orders him to pour out the drink. Instead of pouring it out himself, Anderson hands the drink to Llinas and begins to walk away with his back turned to the officer. The officer rushes up and orders him to get on the ground and pushes him to the ground.
Llinas tells Anderson to put his hands behind his back and warns that he will tase him.
Anderson asks why he is being arrested. The officer responds for battery when he threw “a cork” at him.
But the body camera video does not appear to show the man throwing anything at the officer. Around the 8-second mark in the video above, just after he hands his drink to Llinas, he tosses “the cork” underhand, but it’s unclear whether it hits the officer.
The video on social media shows Llinas on top of Anderson who is on the ground and handcuffed. Llinas punches Anderson four times in the head.
At one point in the video, the officer also pulled a Taser on the man and at another point, he kept his forearm on his head for an extended period of time, the video shows. Anderson continued to yell “Get off my head!” at least 17 times before the officer released him.
Another man, claiming Anderson is his brother, bends down toward Llinas. Another police officer pulls him away. A third officer, a woman, also helps push the brother away.
Llinas stops and draws what appears to be a Taser and seems to point it at the second man who, is now off the screen, before reholstering the Taser.
A woman in the recording yells “You’re Black! What are you doing?” It’s unclear to whom she is directing that comment.
Anderson is Black. Llinas is white. Another officer is Black. A third officer is a white woman.
The video then shows Llinas and Anderson going to the ground and the police officer punching him.
Anderson was arrested on a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer and a city ordinance violation of having an open container of alcohol in a public place. He was released on $500 bond.
NAACP leader demands accountability from all Daytona Beach officers present
Cynthia Slater, president of the Daytona Beach NAACP, said she received a copy of the video and sent it to the police chief.
“It’s abuse of power. The video is very disturbing. It violates this young man’s constitutional rights,” Slater said. “This man was on the ground with his hands behind his back. There was no need for the officers to punch him, period. Let alone to continue to punch him.”
Slater said she wants accountability from all police present at the incident.
“This young man was down on the ground (and) for this officer to continue to punch him and even for the two officers to stand there and watch him being abused like that, somebody has to be held accountable,” Slater said.
“We will not stand that in our community,” Slater added.
“We don’t know what led up to it, but regardless of what led up to it, nobody deserves that kind of abuse from law enforcement. It is an abuse of power.”
Slater said the incident reminded her of George Floyd. Then-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020. Chauvin would later be sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for Floyd’s murder.
Investigation into Daytona Beach Police arrest must be fair, transparent
Dannette Henry, Daytona Beach Zone 5 City Commissioner, wrote in a social media post that the video was “deeply troubling,” and that the investigation must be “thorough, fair and transparent.”
“No one should feel their safety or dignity is at risk during an encounter with law enforcement,” Henry posted. “Our community expects professionalism, restraint and respect from those entrusted with the authority to serve and protect.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Video shows Daytona Beach Police officer punching man on ground
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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