Greensboro police respond after video of arrest sparks controversy on social media

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The Greensboro Police Department is providing details after a video of an arrest involving its officers recently made rounds on social media.

On Sunday at around 11 p.m., officers were patrolling the 2000 block of Veasley Street when they saw a 37-year-old man sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in a parking lot.

When they allegedly saw marijuana in the man’s lap, they ordered him to exit his vehicle. Officers say the man refused, and, after multiple requests, officers removed the man and placed him in handcuffs.

According to police, the man freed one of his hands from the handcuffs and assaulted one of the officers, leading to a struggle, during which the suspect allegedly tried to prevent officers from recuffing him by tucking his arm underneath his body.

An officer delivered suprascapular strikes, or “a blow to the suprascapular nerve, which can cause immediate pain and temporary paralysis of the arm,” to the man’s back shoulder area to get him to release his arm. The arrest was made without further incident.

The man was charged with the following:

• Two counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer
• Felony destruction of evidence
• Misdemeanor possession of marijuana
• Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia for marijuana
• Misdemeanor maintain a vehicle/dwelling/place for a controlled substance
• Misdemeanor resist, delay, obstruct
• Misdemeanor communicating threats