Incident captured on Facebook live video

Incident captured on Facebook live video

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Incident captured on Facebook live video

The Department of Public Safety is investigating an incident involving a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper who was caught on camera wrestling a handcuffed man to the ground.

Eugene Lewis, of McComb, claims he was assaulted by the trooper while he was handcuffed. Lewis' brother shot the viral Facebook Live video of the incident. Lewis said he believes he would be dead if his brother hadn't documented what was happening.

The video appears to show the trooper grabbing Lewis, who was cuffed behind his back, and throwing him to the ground. Both men ended up in a grassy ditch, which is when Lewis said the trooper put his knee into his back.

"He stuck his knee in my side. That's where I got big, ole bruises over here. I was telling him, 'Man, get out of my side. I can't breathe, man, stop,'" Lewis said.

According to Lewis, the incident happened Friday afternoon on Smitty Road in McComb. Lewis said he was stopped for careless driving going 30 mph in a 35-mph zone. Lewis said the trooper put him in handcuffs while he searched his car and later told him he was being arrested for driving while intoxicated.

"I said, 'Alright, cool.' You know that racist stuff is coming out at you right now. So, when I said that he hit me, he couldn't throw me in, he couldn't get me in the car because my back was up against the door, but he went knee me in my stomach."

Lewis said it all happened before his brother showed up and started recording while he sat in the back of the cruiser.

"He jumped in; he went to choking me. Choked me, he slapped me a couple times," Lewis said.

Lewis said he got out of the cruiser because he was afraid of what the trooper might do.

"I got out of the car because he was beating me. Ain't no way I could have stayed in the car if I was able to get out of that car and let him come back and beat me some more, because that's what he was going to do," Lewis said.

Lewis' brother, Gary Lewis, who was recording the video, said the trooper drew his service revolver and pulled out a stun gun threatening that he would go to jail if they didn't leave the area.

"Well, take me to jail. I’m not about to let you treat my brother like they treated George Floyd. If it takes you shooting me, or whatever it takes, I’m not leaving my brother," Gary Lewis said.

A DPS spokesperson said the agency was made aware of the incident Friday that involved a trooper making an arrest in McComb.

"This incident is being reviewed internally by the Department of Public Safety. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is also conducting an inquiry. No further comment will be made at this time," the statement said.

The Lewis brothers said they want the trooper stripped of his gun and badge and prosecuted.

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