Officer fired after video appears to show him choking teen

LARGO, Fla. – Officials say a white Florida police officer who appears to be choking a black teenager on video has been fired.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Largo police announced the termination Tuesday of 43-year-old Brian Livernois. An internal investigation found he had violated department policy.

Police say Livernois stopped a group of people by the side of a road in April because a 17-year-old boy matched the description of a person who had threatened to shoot someone.

A video posted to Facebook and YouTube shows a heated exchange between the officer and teen before Livernois drags the teen to the front of his patrol car. The officer appears to grab the teen around the neck.

Livernois arrested the teen and a man who tried to intervene.

The police union declined to comment on the firing.

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Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.