Florence City Councilman Ed Robinson is asking for an investigation into what he calls a case of police brutality.
During a news conference Monday, Robinson showed pictures of a 33-year-old man who he says was severely beaten by Florence police officers two weeks ago. The man was having a seizure and EMS officials called police to help restrain him.
Florence Police Chief Anson Shells says the man was injured when he fell before officers even got to the scene.
"It ended up taking approximately five officers to gain control of the gentlemen . It appears that witnesses saw that struggle and felt that the officers were being abusive, when the officers were in fact trying to keep him from hurting himself," said Chief Shells.
But Robinson still wants state police to investigate.
"We want to know why they aren't suspended, when are they going to go under suspension, why it took so much force in order for eight police officers to subdue one man that was sick," Robinson said.
Shells says several witnesses, including EMS officials, support the officers' stories. But he says, the incident is under investigation by an independent investigator.
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