Police filmed violently detaining suspect
A witness recording shows police forcefully detaining a suspect during the course of a search for weapons in Jisr az-Zarqa; residents and witnesses are accusing the police of unnecessary force and beating the suspect.
One of the officers was filmed striking the suspect in the head during the course of the arrest.
The incident occurred Tuesday in Jisr az-Zarqa after police arrived to conduct a search for illegal weapons. According to the suspect, "The officers carried out a violent arrest. I was suffering from pain, but they didn't care.
Muhammad Jarban, a family member of the suspect, said, "The officers behaved irresponsibly. We don’t care that they conduct searches, but they should speak to us respectfully. When we asked about the circumstances of the search, they began to shout."
Jarban decided to document the incident and later said, "Unfortunately, the police arrested my nephew, who didn't do anything. They used violence even though he wasn't resisting. They suddenly grabbed him and one of the officers hit him in the head. They threw him on the ground without regard for his pain. The police left without finding anything."
Jisr az-Zarqa has been plagued by high levels of crime, which have led residents to complain that the police and government are indifferent to the conditions inside the village.
Police issued a statement in response to the incident, saying, "It is appropriate considering the circumstances of the case and it will be reviewed by authorized parties and certainly not be based on partial, edited video which only presents an incomplete picture of events."
