A Seattle-area police officer has been removed from active duty after shocking footage showed him repeatedly punching a shirtless suspect in the head while pinning him to the ground in the middle of a busy road.
Officer Andrew Bryant of the Auburn Police Department was placed on administrative leave after video captured him unleashing a barrage of blows against the man during a violent arrest on Wednesday afternoon.
The footage shows Bryant straddling the suspect and repeatedly striking his head and face for more than 20 seconds as drivers in stopped traffic looked on.
The punches were delivered with such force that the officer himself sustained significant injuries to his hands.
The disturbing encounter has now prompted an independent criminal investigation by the neighboring Renton Police Department, alongside an internal review of Bryant’s conduct.
The suspect, identified by relatives as Mauro Alberto Felix Valles, has been running through traffic and attempting to get into passing vehicles when officers were called.
An 18-minute long video released by police shows the shirtless man walking across several lanes of traffic as vehicles are forced to slow down around him.
Officer Bryant can then be seen approaching the man, repeatedly shouting commands as he moves toward the middle of the road.
Shirtless suspect Mauro Alberto Felix Valles is seen wandering through busy traffic in Auburn, Washington, after police say he tried to get into passing cars, prompting officers to respond
Officer Andrew Bryant approaches Valles in the middle of the road, repeatedly ordering him to get on the ground and warning that he will use his Taser if he refuses
The officer points his Taser directly at Valles before firing it sending him crashing to the ground
‘Hey, you’re under arrest. Get on the ground! Do it now! Get on the ground! Hey!’ the officer yells.
When Valles continues walking, Bryant delivers another warning.
‘Hey, get on the ground right now! Are you going to get tased?’
Valles fails to comply and Bryant fires his Taser sending him crashing to the ground.
But rather than bringing the confrontation to an end, the situation rapidly escalates into a violent struggle.
Bryant climbs on top of Valles and attempts to pull his arms behind his back to place him in handcuffs.
The suspect can be seen twisting and resisting as the officer struggles to restrain him. Bryant then begins repeatedly punching the man in the head and face.
Footage captured by a nearby traffic camera shows Bryant sitting on top of the man and repeatedly swinging his fists into his head.
Valles is pinned face down on the road after Bryant fires his Taser and attempts to handcuff him, but police say the suspect continued to struggle and resist arrest
Traffic camera footage shows Bryant straddling Valles and repeatedly punching him in the head as the two struggle in the middle of the road
Bryant continues raining down punches on Valles for more than 20 seconds, striking him with such force that the officer later required hospital treatment for injuries to his hands
Bodycam footage from the officer sees Valles struggling with Bryant in the middle of the road
At one stage, the officer’s body-worn camera falls off although it continues recording audio and the exertion with which Bryant is raining down blows upon Valles can be heard.
Another camera captures the violent confrontation from above, showing the officer continuing to strike the man as he lies on the road.
The suspect can be heard shouting as the struggle continues, with Bryant staying on top of him until additional officers arrive.
Bodycam footage shows it ultimately took four officers to bring the man under control and secure him in handcuffs.
Even after being restrained, the man continued screaming and resisting, prompting firefighters to attend the scene to help calm him.
Both the suspect and Bryant were subsequently taken to local hospitals for evaluations.
Bryant required medical attention for his hands following the confrontation.
Police initially said the man did not appear to have suffered serious injuries, although his relatives have since claimed he sustained a concussion and other physical injuries.
Police bodycam footage captures a close-up of Valles lying on the road during the violent arrest, which his family says left him with a concussion and other injuries
Four officers were needed to handcuff Valles, while Bryant was subsequently placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into his use of force
Valles’ family has said he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the confrontation.
Police booked him on allegations of non-felony drug possession, disorderly conduct, obstruction and attempted assault.
He subsequently posted bond and was released from custody on Thursday. As of Friday, prosecutors had not filed formal criminal charges against him.
The Auburn Police Department released body-worn camera, dashboard camera and traffic surveillance recordings following the encounter.
‘We understand the concern surrounding the October 28 incident,’ the department said in a statement.
‘The officer involved in the incident on Auburn Way North and 37th ST NE was placed on administrative leave yesterday pending a full investigation.’
Police insisted they were treating the allegations seriously.
‘The Auburn Police Department takes all officer-involved incidents seriously and treats these investigations with the utmost urgency.’
‘We are committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation, maintaining transparency throughout the process, and ensuring fair treatment for everyone involved.’
