A white sheriff’s deputy is under investigation after he was caught on camera allegedly punching a black woman in the head in Michigan, according to reports.
Chaos broke out around midnight Tuesday in Ypsilanti Township as deputies from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of a shooting, according to Mlive.com.
Police said they had formed a perimeter to keep residents away from a potential shooter but Sha’Teiny Grady El and her husband, Dan Grady El, began “obstructing” deputies.
Video taken from across the street shows the unnamed officer slugging Sha’Teiny while wrestling her to the ground as bystanders scream in the background.
“That is f—ed up! He was striking her in her face!” a woman says on the video.
The recording also shows another deputy tasing Dan.
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said the incident was “disturbing.”
“There is absolutely no doubt, and no argument from me, that the images in the video are disturbing,” he said. “It warrants a complete investigation.”
The officer who slugged Sha’Teiny was placed on paid administrative leave. His name was not released to ensure a fair internal probe, Clayton said.
Other deputies involved were also placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.
The couple is expected to be arraigned on obstruction of justice charges, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Their daughter, Jaquisy Diggins, said the cops didn’t like that Sha’Teiny was filming them.
“They asked her to back up and she did back up as you can see in the video. She backed up with her hands like this and the officer still rushed my mom,” Diggins told Fox 2 Detroit.
Video of the alleged assault went viral Tuesday, prompting outraged residents to protest outside the sheriff’s office.
Sha’Teiny has previously accused officers of misconduct, filing two lawsuits against the Taylor Police Department for alleged harassment, according to Mlive.com. Both suits were dismissed.
The Michigan incident came a day after a white police officer was caught on video kneeling on a black man’s neck as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe” in Minneapolis. That man, George Floyd, 47, later died. His death sparked violent protests in the city.
