SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota Police Department says it is investigating after a video showing a man struggling with police during a traffic stop was posted online.
The video, posted Monday, showed a stop in the 1700 block of 23rd Street, police said. The vehicle was stopped Sunday because it was on the wrong side of the road.
In the video, several officers are seen wrestling with the passenger, Govinda Howell, 40, on the ground as a bystander shouts: "He's handicapped!"
Bystanders yell for him to stop resisting.
At one point, you see an officer's arm is around Howell's neck, and at another moment a hand is holding his head to the ground.
Howell, who was charged with resisting an officer without violence, is at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. A jail spokesperson said when he was taken to the jail, he was vomiting, so the jail nurse had him sent to the hospital.
Police say Howell was in the back seat when police stopped the vehicle. They said they saw him make movements under the seat in front of him. They also said he ignored orders to show them his hands.
Officers said they had Howell step out of the vehicle for a patdown. They said he yelled at officers and appeared to be under the influence of some substance.
Police said he resisted arrest and was placed in handcuffs. They said they saw him put a substance, suspected to be narcotics, in his mouth and chew.
Police said they do not know if Howell has a handicap.
The Sarasota branch of the NAACP says it is looking into the incident and has requested a thorough investigation.
"If there are any findings of wrongdoing by the Sarasota Police Department, it must be held accountable," the group said in a statement.
The driver was cited for failure to use a designated lane.
Jail records show Howell has several prior arrests, including resisting arrest/obstruction of justice, domestic violence and aggravated battery.
Detectives are asking if anyone has additional information or video to contact Detective Dwayne Shellhammer at (941) 954-7027.
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