By Richard Ray, NBC Chicago
A south suburban village has asked an outside governmental agency to investigate an incident sparked by a viral video involving an off-duty police officer, the mayor said. The officer, now on administrative leave, can be seen in the video holding down a teenage boy on his lawn and threatening him.
Lansing Mayor Patricia Eidam said Friday the village has been the focus of “intense media scrutiny” since the video has been viewed on Facebook millions of times. Lansing police previously said they were investigating after video was shared on social media of an off-duty officer restraining an adolescent boy by pushing down on his chest, neck and throat area.
“The events that unfolded last Saturday in the front yard of an off-duty police officer remind us that we as a community face many of the same issues confronting neighborhoods across the nation,” Eidam said.
Lansing police confirmed Tuesday that the man seen in the video is a police officer who was off duty during the Saturday incident, though the department has not named him.
