Video shows Glendale officer kick man in the face during arrest; internal investigation launched

GLENDALE, Calif. - Four Glendale police officers are on administrative leave after video surfaced of the rough arrest of a 17-year-old shoplifting suspect at the Glendale Galleria.

Video of the arrest shows a police officer kicking the man in the face as he was on the ground.

The incident happened Saturday inside the Dicks Sporting Goods store at the Glendale Galleria.

Video taken by a witness shows three plainclothes officers striking the man several times as he was on the ground. As the three were struggling to contain the man, a uniformed police officer appears in the frame of the video and kicks the suspect in the face, before putting his weight on the man to help pin him down. 

One of the men in plain clothing identified himself as a police officer in the video.

"Turn around on your face! It's the police, we told you," the apparent undercover officer said.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

As four individuals were pinning the man down on the ground, the suspect yells, "I can't breathe."

"Stop resisting!" the officers tell the suspect.

A short time later, police had the man in handcuffs and escorted him out of the store.

Glendale Police said they are aware of the video and investigating the arrest.

"The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is being conducted," Glendale police wrote in a press release Wednesday. 

"Glendale Police Officers are held to a high standard and we work hard to maintain the trust of our community. We take these types of incidents very seriously. Appropriate actions will be taken following the investigation," the statement continued.

Additional details were not immediately available.