An investigation into the incident, which took place on Saturday, is ongoing, Allentown Assistant Chief of Police Support Services Bill Lake told CNN.
A statement from the police chief said the man was behaving erratically and did not comply when officers tried to contain him.
Officers were in a hospital emergency room on Saturday when they saw a man vomit and stumble on the street before stopping at the entrance to the emergency room, according to a statement from Chief Glenn Granitz. After hospital officials and staff approached him, he allegedly yelled at them and spat on them, the chief said in the statement.
“When officers attempted to restrain the individual, all parts fell to the ground,” Granitz said in the statement. “The individual continued to fail, requiring officers to restrain the individual and the hospital applied a saliva shield.”
The man was treated and released from the hospital, according to the statement. He has not been identified and it is unclear if he sustained any injuries from the police who held him.
Granitz added that the investigation into the incident is proceeding rapidly.
Lake said the Allentown police chief, mayor, and other city officials met with community members Saturday night and early Sunday morning at the police station.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a statement that he will issue a statement at the end of the investigation.
According to the Allentown Police Department’s use of force policy issued on January 29, “the use of neck restraints or similar non-weapon (suffocation) control techniques is prohibited. Preventing imminent death or serious bodily injury to a member or citizen is the only possible exception to the ban. “
The video shows an officer’s knee on the man’s neck for approximately 8 seconds.
The video, posted on the Black Lives Matter in Lehigh Valley by a person who asked CNN to remain anonymous, begins with someone driving on the scene who appears to be outside a hospital.
A person in bushes is seen observing the incident, and it appears that another person in bushes is helping with the person on the ground.
When the man is on the ground with his hands behind his back, an officer places his elbow and then his knee on the man’s neck.
It is unclear what led to the video being recorded and what happened after the video. It looks like the officer’s elbow first, and then his knee was on the man’s neck for about eight seconds each.
It is also unclear what medical condition the man was in at the time of the incident.
A person believed to be in the car at a considerable distance while filming this can be heard on the tape saying, “I thought we were important” and “It doesn’t matter, brother.”
Another can be heard saying “in her neck, brother”, commenting on what she can see.
A person in hospital gowns approaches the cameraman, who says “you can’t touch my phone,” just before the video ends.
“Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley (BLMLV) is proud of our community against the latest case of police brutality here at home. It was less than 2 weeks after the Allentown Police Department (APD) released its force, to remind us it doesn’t mean anything, “Black Lives Matter told Lehigh Valley on CNN. “APD, the mayor’s administration, and St. Lukes have been unable to provide the transparency and immediate action that we seek.”
Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell’s office told CNN they had no comment.
CNN has reached out to the Allentown Police Association and Saint Luke’s Hospital for comment.
CNN’s Madeline Holcombe and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
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