The Greensboro Police Department is petitioning for the release of an officer’s body-worn camera footage after a bystander video of a recent arrest went viral.
The video circulating online shows multiple officers holding down Nathaniel Williams, 37, attempting to handcuff him.
One officer begins to hit Williams repeatedly, yelling, “Give me your hand,” while Williams says he can’t breathe or move.
Law enforcement officials say officers approached Williams while he was sitting in a parked car. The officers allegedly saw marijuana on his lap, ordered him to exit the vehicle and removed him when he didn’t comply — leading to the struggle captured on video. Williams was later taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains.
At a press conference about the incident, Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson said the officer seen hitting Williams was delivering “suprascapular strikes.” He says that’s an approved technique for arrest procedures taught in training.
But Thompson says it’s unclear whether the use of force was warranted in this situation.
“Was six strikes, seven strikes necessary? Was it reasonable? Our investigative process will provide us all of the information that we can gather, that we need to know, to hopefully be able to make that decision," he said.
Thompson said the officers involved aren’t on administrative leave because the initial review doesn’t show any “significant policy violations.”
As the investigation continues, Thompson is requesting court permission to release the body-worn camera footage to the public. He’s also inviting Williams and his attorney to come to the police department to view the recordings.
Williams has been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer, destruction of evidence, possession of marijuana and more.
When asked what the assault on the officer entailed, Thompson said that was "still being worked out through the investigation.”