Authorities from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office placed the men on leave Sunday after launching an internal investigation to probe the video.
Two Northern California sheriff’s deputies were placed on paid administrative leave after a video emerged of the officers repeatedly beating a suspect with batons, officials said.
Authorities from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office placed the men on leave Sunday after launching an internal investigation to probe the video, which was taken after a 38-minute car chase from the East Bay to San Francisco, a spokesman told INSIDE EDITION.
“An internal investigation was launched on Friday night… I think it’s safe to say that as soon as the Sheriff and agencies saw the video, (they) were really concerned about it,” said Sgt. J.D. Nelson, spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
The video released Friday on YouTube by the San Francisco public defender’s office shows two deputies chasing a man on foot down a street.
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One deputy tackles him to the ground and punches him twice. The second deputy arriveas and starts hitting the man with his baton. The first deputy then starts hitting the man with his baton as well.
The man alternated from lying on the ground to getting on his knees, appearing to shield his head as he is hit by the deputies, who have yet to be identified.
Other law enforcement officials eventually join the pair of deputies as they stand over the man.
Nelson said to INSIDE EDITION that the suspect, 29-year-old Stanislav Petrov, was found to have a firearm and methamphetamine on him.
“He was in the stolen car; he ran… there was a 38-minute pursuit that led to this. There was a gun found. Methamphetamine was on him,” Nelson said.
Petrov was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where he remained Monday.
His condition was not immediately clear.
He was accused of ramming the deputies’ patrol car, evading arrest, possessing a firearm and possessing methamphetamine, Nelson said.
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Petrov also allegedly had outstanding warrants for narcotic-related offenses and resisting arrest, Nelsons said.
He was also accused of knocking an officer down before the chase.
Calls made to the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office were not immediately returned.
Public Defender Brendon Woods told KQED-FM he visited Petrov in the hospital Sunday and that the 29-year-old man had several broken bones in both of his hands or arms and multiple cuts to the back of his head.
"I counted over 30 baton strikes. I'm not sure what facts would justify that sort of brutal beating," Woods told KQED-FM, noting Petrov was alert and talking.
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