City of Erie police are investigating a weekend arrest after a video posted on social media appeared to show an officer hitting a man with a cruiser. The video also shows officers punching the suspect as he was apprehended.
This video on social media captured an EPD patrol car colliding with a man on a bike on the 2300 block of Wallace Street.
After the suspect gets up to run away, officers catch him, pin him to the ground and appear to hit him several times.
The suspect is identified as 41-year-old Keven Sparks. According to court documents, he was wanted by Erie police for theft and trespassing, plus warrants out of Erie and Venango counties.
Sparks is currently being held at the Erie County Prison.
We reached out to the suspect’s family, who declined to go on camera; however, they have confirmed they are working with an attorney regarding this incident.
“We have in-car cameras, we have body cameras, we have the entire incident from start to finish. We’re going to look at it from start to finish and then we’ll make a determination there,” said Rick Lorah, chief of police for the City of Erie. “We’re trained in all these instances, individuals running from us, we’re trained to stop them.”
We reached out to the mayor’s office regarding this video and they gave us the following statement:
The City is aware of the video circulating on social media depicting an interaction between Erie Police officers and an individual following a pursuit on Sunday, June 28th.
We understand why members of our community have questions and concerns after viewing the footage. Any use of force by a police officer is a serious matter and deserves careful review.
The Erie Police Department has initiated an investigation, which includes collecting and examining all available evidence, including body-worn camera footage, witness statements, and other relevant information. A short video clip shared online may not capture the full context of an incident, but it is an important piece of information that will be reviewed alongside all other evidence.
Our administration expects every City employee to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and respect for the dignity of every person. If that review determines that policies were violated, appropriate action will be taken.
We recognize the importance of this review for everyone involved and for our broader community. We remain committed to a thorough, fair, and transparent process and will provide updates as appropriate.
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