Video shows St. Paul officer kicked man
An officer with the St. Paul Police Department was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday after a video was posted to the Internet that appears to show him kicking a man on the ground.
The incident occurred as police arrested a 30-year-old man near Lewis Park in St. Paul around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
In the video, which was shot by a bystander and post to YouTube, the officer appears to kick the man as he was lying on the sidewalk. People are heard yelling that the man had already been "maced" and "tased," and warning others to stay back. A few minutes into the incident, several other police cars pull up.
Two officers then appear to slam the man onto the hood of a squad car before more officers put him in the car.
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The man was arrested and is currently being held in the Ramsey County Jail for allegedly making terroristic threats in an earlier incident. He has not been charged.
St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith said he found out about the video on Wednesday morning. He said it "raised serious concerns about the use of force" by the officer, who Smith identified as Officer Jesse Zilge.
"I want everybody to know that I immediately called for an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the suspect who was being sought on suspicion of terroristic threats," Smith said.
Smith said he "expedited" the department's investigation into the incident.
"I want to know what happened before this video started, exactly what everybody heard at the scene, both civilians and officers, and what they heard during the suspect's arrest," Smith said. "I want to know what happened start to finish in this incident, and the biggest piece, the public has a right to know as well."
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said in a statement Wednesday that he has spoken to the chief about the incident.
"I have high expectations for the department and its employees," Coleman said. "We will fully investigate and take appropriate action."
A police report lists "hands/fists/feet," "taser" and "chemical" as the weapons used by police in the incident.