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A policewoman has been filmed punching a teenager repeatedly as he's pinned to a car by a group of officers, before warning his mother: "Get back or you're next."
Shocking mobile phone footage shows Aaron Kearney being held down while one cop is seen repeatedly hitting him in the face during an arrest.
The 18-year-old's mother is heard saying: "Are you punching my son?", to which the female officer brazenly responds: "I am."
When the mother approached again, shouting: "Why is she f***** my son up?", the female officer says: "Get back or you're next."
In the 45 second clip, taken during the arrest in Connecticut, Kearney is seen being punched at least 10 times.
Pleading with officers, the woman's voice is heard saying: "Look at this. You see this? This is a white boy."
Kearney repeatedly shouts to his mother "Record me, record me ma" as the ordeal continues.
Several officers have been placed on administrative duty following the violence, the Connecticut Post reports.
Kearney was taken to hospital, and may have suffered broken bones, according to a family friend.
Joe Grits told NBC: "I know his nose was bleeding bad. I don't know if there were broken bones, but it looked severe that day."
Grits said officers had been called by Kearney after a minor road crash, but said it escalated when police realised he was driving with a suspended license.
The teenager has been charged with breach of the peace and assault on a police officer.
The city's Office of Internal Affairs is investigating the incident.
Defending her actions, the female police officer, identified as Christina Arroyo, said, the Connecticut Post reports: “I feared for my safety as well as officers on scene that suspect was pulling away and actively resisting due to concealing a firearm.
"Due to these reasons I then struck (Aaron) Kearney multiple times in the face with both fists in an attempt for him to loosen his grip of his arms and bring them out from his body."