A Maryland police department has suspended an officer’s police powers while it investigates whether he used excessive force during an arrest captured on video.
The Montgomery County Police Department began investigating Officer Kevin Moris’ use of force after a video of Wednesday’s arrest began circulating on social media. The video appears to show the officer kneeing 19-year-old Arnaldo Pesoa’s head into the sidewalk outside a restaurant in a shopping center.
The department said in a statement Friday that Pesoa became “disorderly” and resisted arrest when plainclothes officers tried to detain him inside the restaurant. Pesoa was freed on $5,000 bail after his arrest on charges including drug possession, resisting arrest and second-degree assault.
The officer has been assigned to administrative duties while the department investigates.
