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Austin Police Captured Kneeling On Teenager's Neck During Arrest Utility_Inc/ Pixabay

The video of four police officers beating a teenager suspected of shoplifting at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Glendale Galleria on Saturday has gone viral. A man who was not identified, was shopping in the store when the incident took place at around 7pm and recorded the events on his cellphone.

In the video provided to CBS Los Angeles/CBS2 KCAL9, three police officers in plainclothes could be seen beating the teenager laying on the ground when another uniformed police officer came into the melee and started kicking the teenage boy in the face.

Startled shoppers can be heard screaming in the background during the arrest as the boy begged for help while the officers held him down ordering the teen not to resist arrest.

The witness who recorded the video described the tussle: "The officer that wasn't even there to begin with, that ran up on this situation, and as soon as he arrived, he just decided I'm going to kick this kid in the face.”

According to Sgt. Christian Hauptmann of the Glendale PD, officers assigned to the mall received reports of petty theft in another part of the galleria. The officers responded and located a suspect that matched the description and engaged contact with the said teen suspect inside the store.

Police said stolen merchandise was recovered from the boy. He was arrested for petty theft and resisting an officer by force.

During an interview with the suspect's sister, Melissa Navarette, she said: “It was really hard to watch. We got traumatized. We have, like, all of the video stuck in our head.”

The suspect suffered injuries to both his eye and head.

Civil rights attorney Connie Rice expressed her views after watching the video and said the officers behavior in apprehending the unarmed suspect goes against the training they received. “This is worse than a rough arrest. I’ve seen better tactics and discipline in a barroom brawl,” Rice said.

Family members of the boy hope the video will reinforce the need for additional training for police officers as well as improved measures to prevent similar situations.

The Glendale Police Department released a statement and said it will continue its investigation into the incident. "Glendale Police Officers are held to a high standard and we work hard to maintain the trust of our community," the police statement reads.

"We take these types of incidents very seriously. Appropriate actions will be taken following the investigation."

All four officers have been placed on administrative leave.

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