Criminal investigation underway after video shows Columbia officer punching man in face
A criminal investigation is underway after video footage showed two Columbia, Missouri, police officers early Sunday using force on a man who one of them punched in the face five times.
The officers responded to a reported “disturbance” about 12:45 a.m. Sunday in the 20 block of South 10th Street outside a bar, where video captured by a bystander showed the officers’ use of force.
The man’s face began to bleed as one of the officers punched him while he was on the ground. Someone standing nearby could be heard saying, “He’s punching him in the face. Oh my God.”
Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones said he requested an independent criminal investigation into the officers’ conduct, which is being done by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The department also plans to conduct an internal investigation.
“Police use of force must be reasonable,” Jones said. ”We have a high expectation that officers act appropriately when using force, and they are expected to intervene when they observe force that is not to these standards. I will enforce that expectation.”
Jones thanked those who told the department about the incident and asked members of the public to contact either agency if they have more information or other recordings.
