Video shows Sarasota officer knock man into wall

Sarasota officer suspended after video shows him slamming homeless man face-first into wall

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Published On: Nov 30 2012 11:31:17 AM EST

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a Sarasota police officer has been suspended after a video surfaced that showed him slamming a homeless man into a wall during an arrest.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin viewed the video on Thursday and deemed it was "clearly excessive force."

The video was captured Oct. 6 by a security camera at the downtown bus depot. The newspaper reports the video showed officer Derrick Gilbert pushing Roger Alan Fields into the wall, splitting open his head.

Barwin called Police Chief Mikel Hollaway and told him to suspend the officer. Gilbert was placed on administrative leave.

The matter will be investigated by internal affairs.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the city, claiming it uses a trespass ordinance to single out homeless people.

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