City and police officials are on the defense this week after video surfaced showing two police officers pummel a man with their batons. The man was suspected of stealing a cellphone but may now be entitled to a lawsuit after police were seen hitting him even after he was knocked to the ground.
The incident happened on Thursday and was captured on video and uploaded to Twitter. In the video’s description, the user, who goes by the handle 1, wrote that the man is known around the area to be mentally challenged.
“Police brutality in broad daylight on Hallandale Beach Blvd,” the Twitter user wrote. “Police heavily beat this man up busted his head open led him to bleed heavily. The man is known around the area to be a mentally challenged individual.”
As the video begins, the suspect, Daniel Dunkelberger, 27, is seen standing near the police cruiser. The officers are yelling at him to “get on the ground,” and he does not immediately comply. So, they begin pummeling him.
The baton cracking off Dunkelberger’s head is so loud, it echos on the video. After the heavy blow to his head, Dunkelberger goes down to the ground. Taser wires can be seen, indicating that police had already deployed the taser and as one officer moves them out of the way, he hits the motionless man again for good measure.