Activist groups are calling for transparency after video surfaced of Pittsburgh officers arresting a man on the North Side.
The arrest happened during the early morning hours on December 29th, according to a Public Safety spokesperson, who said the matter is under review.
On Friday, Pittsburgh’s NAACP and B-PEP sent a letter to Pittsburgh leaders, stating that the footage “presents an interaction that appears to be significantly more excessive and aggressive than necessary.” The groups are demanding more information surrounding the circumstances that led up to the interaction.
An included link to the video shows a man, identified as Devlon Pridgen, on the ground, as several officers arrest him.
A female filming can be heard screaming “he isn’t resisting” while claiming that Pridgen was unarmed. Officers are later heard repeatedly demanding that Pridgen put his arms behind his back, implying that he was resisting.
Photographs of Pridgen were provided in the groups’ letter, showing him with a bloodied face.