3
2
A video posted to Facebook on May 8 shows a North Carolina police officer choking a man wearing prom attire and slamming him to the ground.
Warsaw Police Chief Eric Southerland told The News & Observer in an interview Wednesday that the officer in the video is a part of the Warsaw Police Department. Warsaw is about an hour south and east of Raleigh.
The department and District Attorney Ernie Lee are investigating the May 5 incident, Southerland said. Lee said he has asked the the State Bureau of Investigation to assist.
Southerland did not identify the officer or the man involved in the video.
"We are aware of the video and currently working on an investigation, following up based on the video posted, doing interviews, gathering video evidence," Southerland said.
Anthony Wall, 22, of Fayetteville, said he was at Waffle House with a group after taking his 16-year-old sister to prom. He said he and his sister argued with Waffle House employees and the police were called.
The argument began when a Waffle House employee cursed at people in his group after they sat at a table that had not been cleaned yet, he said. Then, Wall said, a waitress called the police.