PAMLICO COUNTY, N.C. – The district attorney in Pamlico County and the State Bureau of Investigation have been asked to review video of a viral arrest showing a deputy punching a man in handcuffs who officials say was resisting arrest.
The video from Wednesday shows Darrell Wayne who is being led to a patrol car in handcuffs when a deputy is seen punching him in the face, pushing Wayne into a nearby car, and pinning him down on the ground.
The sheriff’s office says that deputies went to Wayne’s home to serve an arrest warrant for child abuse after a video of Wayne slapping a 3-year-old child circulated in the community.
We reviewed a video that the sheriff’s office says surrounds their investigation into Wayne. In the video, a man can be heard confronting a child lying on a full laundry hamper. The man asks the child if he wants him to smack him in the head and if he’s going to cry again before the man appears to strike the child in the head. He then asks the child “Did I hit you” to which the child nods. The man says “No, I didn’t — say no.” At the end of the video, the child is slapped again in the head.
Deputies say when they got to the home, a woman told them Wayne was not at the house, but after searching the home, Wayne was found inside.
Deputies say Wayne was resisting while they were arresting him.
Once they got outside, deputies say Wayne tried to assault law enforcement, which prompted an altercation between Wayne and a deputy, which is shown in the video.
A second video circulating social media shows the aftermath of the altercation, where Wayne is seen face-down on the ground with his hands behind his back, telling deputies that he needs an ambulance.
The video shows Wayne asking for an ambulance several times before two deputies are seen lifting him and putting him in the patrol car.
The sheriff’s office says Wayne was taken to CarolinaEast Medical Center for evaluation and was then taken back to the Pamlico County Detention Center.
Sheriff Chris Davis says he has asked District Attorney Scott Thomas and the SBI to review the case and video.
The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office says they are cooperating with the investigation, and they will not be making any further statements regarding the case.
Via WITN