MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis police are investigating a video that appears to show two uniformed city officers standing by as a bouncer repeatedly punches a handcuffed man lying facedown outside a downtown strip club.
The Star Tribune reports that a bystander made a 10-second cellphone video of the beating Saturday night outside Augie's Cabaret and posted it to social media. The video had been viewed about 26,000 times on Facebook by Wednesday.
The clip shows bouncer Lonnie Davis punching 28-year-old David Mitchell three times. Bystanders can be heard in the background urging Davis to stop before the bouncer is pulled away by a bystander.
Officers Tobias Anderson and Joseph Klimmek don't appear to intervene. One is standing above Mitchell while talking into a police radio.
The 10-second recording doesn't show what happens before or after the incident, so it's unclear what led to the assault or what the officers did after the clip ends.
Department spokeswoman Sgt. Catherine Michal said the officers' role in the beating is being examined and cautioned that the video doesn't show the entire episode.
"We are looking into it right now . to make sure everything was handled correctly," Michal said.
Michal said one of the officers was in the process of activating his body camera and captured a portion of the altercation.
The Minneapolis Police Department's Office of Police Conduct Review is investigating.
Mitchell is accused of assaulting a security guard at the club earlier in the evening. A police report said he was treated by medics after the bouncer punched him three times.
Davis declined the newspaper's request for comment Tuesday and directed questions to the club, which couldn't be reached.
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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com