FBI looks into alleged police kicking
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The FBI says it's reviewing the arrest of a man who was kicked by a St. Paul police officer while the suspect was lying on a sidewalk.
FBI spokesman Kyle Loven says the agency will look into possible civil rights violations of the man who was arrested, Eric Hightower. Video of the Aug. 28 arrest was recorded by a citizen and posted to YouTube.
Loven tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press he did not know whether a formal complaint prompted the agency's investigation.
The video prompted St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith to launch an internal investigation and put the officer, Jesse Zilge, on paid administrative leave. Hightower is accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend. He's been charged with stalking, terroristic threats, and criminal damage to property.
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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press
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