Investigation Launched After Sarasota Police Officer Kneels on Man's Neck During Arrest

The Sarasota Police Department announced on June 2 that an officer was put on administrative leave and an internal investigation launched after a video surfaced showing the officer kneeling on a man’s neck during an arrest on May 18.

Sarasota police said on June 2 that an Internal Affairs investigation was launched after witness video circulated showing a closer view of the officer kneeling on 27-year-old Patrick Carroll’s head and neck while detaining him in Sarasota, Florida.

The May 18 incident came to light as police brutality protests gripped the nation following the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis Police Department officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes on May 25.

The Sarasota Police Department on June 2 released this helicopter footage of the arrest, showing two officers struggling to arrest Carroll. After officers throw Carroll to the ground, one officer’s knee is seen on top of Carroll’s neck and head area.

The Sarasota Police Department said the kneeling “tactic is not taught, used or advocated by” the agency. The department said Carroll did not require medical attention and did not complain of injuries.

Police said they responded to a call of battery on May 18 after an argument broke out between Carroll and another person. The victim accused Carroll of “grabbing” her by the hair and face, “swinging at her,” and said Carroll “threw her on the ground,” according to the police report.

Officers said they determined probable cause for Carroll’s arrest after seeing “visible bruising and swelling” on the victim. Carroll, a convicted felon, was charged with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, domestic battery, and resisting law enforcement officers. Credit: Sarasota Police Department/Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office via Storyful