Chattanooga City Council requests independent investigation after controversial video surfaced

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanooga City Council Members voted in favor of sending a request to the district attorney’s office for an independent investigation into an incident that happened in March.

“I want to see a change. I want to see a change in Chattanooga. I want to see a change in our police department and also in our city as a whole,” District 5 Council Member Russell Gilbert said.

Police videos that recently surfaced show the situation.

A man is pulled over in a traffic stop and before three officers arrest him, one of the officers is seen hitting the man multiple times.

In the police report, an officer said the man was resisting arrest.

“We need to look at things and policies now that give someone, think he have the power to do the things that he did to that young man. No one should be having that much power. We have some great policemen, 95% are great, but that 5% need to go,” Council Member Gilbert said.

Members from local civil rights groups the Unity Group and NAACP also expressed their concerns over the incident and also pushed for a change.

And while both groups showed appreciation in the council’s move to request an independent investigation, they’re calling for more to be done.

“We’re asking that this officer be terminated and all officers involved with the county and city that are involved in racial discrimination throughout this city. We’re also asking that an independent investigation be done throughout the department,” Dwight Smith with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County NAACP.

“I think that there should be an independent police review board also with subpoena power, but not one that is appointed by either the mayor or the county,” Sherman Matthews with The Unity Group of Chattanooga said.

Since the video surfaced, Chattanooga Police announced an internal investigation and placed one of the officers on leave.