Video shows North Carolina police strike man with baton

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina authorities are investigating video that appears to show an officer using a baton to hit a black man who’s already on the ground.

Video of the altercation posted Friday on Facebook had more than 40,000 views. The man, who was subdued by a half-dozen officers in the middle of a road, wasn’t immediately identified.

In a statement, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said she learned of the incident Friday and has requested body camera footage from the officers.

The Raleigh Police Department issued a statement that they proactively informed the prosecutor and had no further comment.

The News & Observer reports that community activists including Dawn Blagrove of the Carolina Justice Policy Center held a news conference to say the department needs to address problems with use of force.