Mississippi Police Officer Placed On Leave After Appearing To Choke Young Man In Viral Video

A Jackson, Mississippi police officer has been placed on leave pending an investigation after a video surfaced showing him with his hands around a young man's neck.

The video depicted the officer yelling at the young man and arguing with bystanders.

It has since been shared across social media.

Young black kid get chock by police www.youtube.com

The video, recorded by one of the bystanders, started in the middle of the confrontation. The young man in the video struggled to get Officer Myron Smith's hands off his neck.

A woman close by told the officer:

"He's telling you he can't breathe!"

The officer responded:

"Ma'am, do you see my hands? I'm not even choking him."

Officer Smith then continued to chastise the young man while holding his hands around his neck, exclaiming he told him to leave. At one point, the officer "dared" the young man to "make" him do something more, though this is never elaborated on.

Sadly, videos like this are becoming a recurring incident.

@GreyrAinb0ws_ / Twitter

Facebook.com

When the video was brought to the attention of Chief James David, he immediately placed Smith on leave. The video was forwarded to Internal Affairs for an investigation.

This incident is particularly horrifying with the recent news of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, after exclaiming he couldn't breathe.

The video furthers the divide between police and protesters.

@keahsinterlude / Twitter

Facebook.com

Facebook.com

Since the initial reporting on this incident, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba released a statement denouncing the actions of the officer.

"This administration is clear that we are trying to build an approach to public safety that is about trust, collaborations and integrity."

"Any actions that do not reflect those principles have no place in the city of Jackson."

The investigation into Officer Myron Smith and this incident is ongoing.

This all comes as protests have broken out in cities across the country against police brutality.