(This story was updated to add new information.)
The Appleton Police Department said May 7 that its officers acted appropriately in an incident that involved force on College Avenue.
The statement via Facebook was in response to a video posted on the social media site May 7 that depicts an Appleton police officer breaking up a fight. The officer is seen punching a woman while restraining her. The video was posted by a user with the screen name Ta Lon, who identified herself as Talon Pack in the caption. According to the caption on the video, the incident took place at 2:30 a.m. May 3.
The police department released multiple videos of the incident on May 8.
The police department defended the officers’ efforts to help stop the fight, restore order and prevent further injuries to those involved and to bystanders.
“Focused strikes are a trained, approved part of Wisconsin’s DAAT system used to control actively resistive or assaultive subjects,” a May 8 Facebook post said. “They are an ‘active countermeasure’ meant to create brief dysfunction so officers can safely gain control, stop violence, or separate individuals. These strikes are not punitive; officers use them only as long as necessary and stop once control is achieved, continually reassessing resistance, safety, and the need for medical care, all of which occurred in this instance.”
The police department said based on body camera footage the officers involved “acted within the scope of their training, department policy, and state law,” according to a statement on the department’s Facebook page.
Officers responded to several incidents that night, and the police department said its review found officers followed through correctly after the incident, offering medical evaluation.
“We hold our officers to the highest standards of professional conduct,” Police Chief Polly Olson said in the May 7 Facebook post. “While social media clips often capture only a fraction of a complex interaction, our review confirms that the officers’ actions were a measured and necessary response to the circumstances they faced. We remain committed to transparency and maintaining the trust of the community we serve.”
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton police defend use of force, release bodycam video of incident
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
