DPD: video of man's forceful arrest doesn't tell whole story

DETROIT (WJBK) - Video submitted to FOX 2's Facebook of a man's forceful arrest doesn't tell the entire story, police say.

The man's girlfriend posted two different clips to FOX 2's Facebook page late Wednesday night, showing the arrest of Tony Ross. The video started spreading online but police say there's more to this story than what's in the video and they have the proof: their dashcam.

Ross' girlfriend says police made a traffic stop for not wearing their seat belts but police say that's not the case. They told FOX 2 they showed up for a family domestic call and the man they wanted was Ross.

That's not stopping Tatayana Taylor from telling her side of the story. She recorded video that shows Ross getting punched in the face and below the belt by officers while sitting in the driver's seat of their car.

"They said get out, stop resisting. He's saying I'm not resisting, I can't move. He said you just hit me in my, you know. He's letting them know what's going on. The officer comes across as you can see in the video, strike, hit him in the head. When he hit him, you see my phone fall," Taylor said.

She told FOX 2 that police stopped them for not wearing their seat belts and that the officers were hostile. She said when Ross went to get his license and registration, they pulled him out of his 1998 Cadillac Deville.

"He goes to reach for his license and registration, the officer on this side of the car opens the door and says get out get out get out," Taylor said.

However, Detroit police say that's not the entire story. They tell us that officers were called to the area near Saint Mary's and Margareta on Detroit's west side on a report of a family disturbance call, caused by the suspect.

When they pulled over the suspect, wanted for the disturbance, police say he resisted arrest and also had an outstanding warrant from Harper Woods.

Police Chief James Craig could not elaborate on whether the use of force was necessary and said an open investigation is underway to figure out what happened.

"I can't give you an assessment at this point if the force was in policy or out of policy because it's still very early. But again, there was some clear resistance on the part of the suspect and we are doing an investigation," Craig said.

The chief says based on what appears to be a high level of resistance by ross, you cannot be quick to call this matter 'police brutality'.

"Anytime an officer uses force - whether it's a punch, a kick, a baton - it looks bad. We do know that when an officer uses force, it has to be the amount of force necessary to overcome resistance."

Ross remains in police custody and he will be arraigned in Harper Woods for his outstanding warrant.