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Video of SDSU officers tackling man goes viral, sparks protest

The man was not a student and was suspected of being under the influence of drugs.
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SAN DIEGO -- A man's forceful arrest Thursday at San Diego State University sparked student protests on campus and prompted a response from university President Elliot Hirshman and campus police.
 
The arrest of the man, who police said is not an SDSU student and was suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance, occurred at 12:42 p.m. at the campus' student union.
 
Hirshman said in an email to the SDSU community that the suspect was seen jumping the construction fence at the university's Open Air Theater and that his erratic behavior was reported by at least two people.
 
Responding officers attempted to arrest the man and when he resisted, officers restrained him until backup could arrive, according to Hirshman.
 
"The calling of backup is required any time an officer is engaged in a physical confrontation," Hirshman said.
 
"Several more officers arrived on the scene to assist with the arrest. The arrested individual is uninjured and was transported to the San Diego County Jail."
 
The arrest was caught on video by at least one person and was shared on social media where students used the hashtag #blackunderattacksdsu to express their disdain for what they saw in the video.

-- WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE USED --

Students also gathered outside the university's Manchester Hall to raise their fists in silent protest, the newspaper reported.
 
Hirshman responded to the criticism in the email saying, "The use of force in an arrest is a significant matter and we understand the concerns members of our community have expressed about the arrest. Consistent with department policy, this incident will be evaluated and reviewed by the field supervisor, a lieutenant, a use-of-force expert and the chief of police."

Here's Hirshman's full statement on the arrest:

Prompted by calls from members of our university community, two San Diego State University police officers responded and ultimately arrested a non-student at the student union today. We are writing to inform members of our community regarding the context and circumstances associated with this arrest.

Earlier in the day, multiple people reported they had seen the individual acting erratically on campus. He was seen jumping the construction fence at the Open Air Theater and SDSU PD was called by two separate people.

The officers arrived at the scene and determined the person appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. In their attempt to arrest the person, he resisted and the officers restrained him until backup could arrive.

The calling of backup is required any time an officer is engaged in a physical confrontation. Several more officers arrived on the scene to assist with the arrest. The arrested individual is uninjured and was transported to the San Diego County Jail.

The use of force in an arrest is a significant matter and we understand the concerns members of our community have expressed about the arrest. Consistent with department policy, this incident will be evaluated and reviewed by the field supervisor, a lieutenant, a use-of-force expert and the Chief of Police.

The Division of Student Affairs, University Police and Associated Students will be reaching out to student organizations and other campus groups to continue dialogue and expand existing programming around this important issue.

Students who feel vulnerable or need assistance in finding resources on campus, please reach out to the Dean of Students, Dr. Randy Timm at deanofstudents@mail.sdsu.edu, or (619) 594-5221. In addition, members of our Counseling and Psychological Services staff are available to provide support for all concerned members of our campus community. Counseling and Psychological Services can be reached at (619) 594-5220 or psycserv@mail.sdsu.edu.

Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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