North Attleborough Police Department is speaking out after a video of a violent confrontation between officers and a suspect was widely circulated on the Internet.
The department issued a press release after a video was released showing officers in a violent struggle with one man, ordering him to the ground, and hitting him with what appeared to be batons.
The four officers appear to hit and use pepper spray on the suspect. After more than a minute, he finally falls to his knees. Police continue to hit him with batons, something witnesses say was over the top.
Brendan Murphy, a friend and neighbor of the suspect whom he identified as Joe Perry, said Perry's girlfriend had just broken up with him and he was in a "bad state of mind." Murphy said he thought police used excessive force and did not do enough to calm the situation, just agitate it.
