Police Officer Tackles Alleged Jaywalker And Then Starts Punching

Here's another reason to look both ways before crossing the street.

Stunning video shows a Sacramento, California, police officer charge at and take down a black man who allegedly crossed the street the wrong way.

Sacramento Police Department officials on Tuesday leveled blame at the unidentified officer, who has been suspended with pay during an investigation of the incident.

“The videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento Police Officer,” the department said in a statement.

The footage begins with the officer, who appears to be white, and the black man, whom TV station Fox40 later identified as Nandi Cain Jr., facing each other in the middle of the street.

Cain removes his jacket and soon after the officer strides toward him. Cain doesn’t appear to resist as the cop tackles him to the ground and punches him several times. Additional officers quickly arrive on the residential street and help handcuff the man.

Cain was walking home from work, according to Naomi Monaie, the neighbor who recorded the encounter and uploaded the video to Facebook on Monday. He had never been arrested, his girlfriend told Fox40.

The police department has not confirmed Cain’s identity. The department said the incident began when the officer attempted to stop a pedestrian “observed crossing the street unlawfully.” The man ignored the cop’s orders and challenged him to a fight, according to the department.

Still, the department expressed concern about the officer’s actions. “For an unknown reason, the officer threw the pedestrian to the ground and began striking him in the face with his hand multiple times,” the department said.

Authorities said they will examine additional footage recorded by cameras in the patrol cars.

Cain was initially booked for resisting arrest, but that charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence, a Sacramento Police Department spokesman told The Huffington Post.

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