Internal investigation launched after viral video shows Mississippi state cop choking and jumping on handcuffed black man

A Mississippi Highway Patrol officer is under public scrutiny and the mayor of McComb after video of him aggressively holding a black man during a traffic stop went viral. Footage appears to support excessive claims of violence as the suspect is handcuffed and the white officer is captured, who yanks him around and throws him to the curb.

Law enforcement has opened an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of Eugene Lewis’ arrest on Friday, August 5. Key evidence is now viral footage of the incident, filmed by the suspect’s brother Packer Lewis.

At the beginning of the five-minute video, Packer says, “We look at you and choke the man. We’ll hold back, but we’ll take you in. We want to know why you jumped on him in the car.”

The unidentified officer punched Eugene in the arm 19 seconds into the video.

Less than 8 seconds later he is pulling the tied up suspect and at some points he is using his body to push and shove him causing him to fall into the side brush area.

Packer admonishes the officer for what he believes to be excessive violence, saying, “Don’t do that. Yes!”

The brother briefs the witnesses around and the officer he’s recording on “Live,” but that doesn’t stop the patrolman from grabbing the man and wheeling him around. In the video, Eugene tries to stick to it.

“You handcuffed him, man!” Packer can be heard yelling and repeating himself as he records, “You have no right to jump on him. Look at that!”

Another voice, Darius Lewis, confirms what the footage appears to show, the suspect being handcuffed while being tossed around.

After joining Packer’s chorus, the officer draws a gun or taser and aims it at the two men.

Packer says, looking at the gun, “We don’t care.”

Both say the officer faces jail for his behavior and compare his use of force to that of another high-profile incident involving police.

“That’s how George Floyd was killed!” Packer says repeatedly. “That’s how George Floyd died.”

Packer asked for McComb police to arrive to help establish justice, saying that at every step of the detention the officer was trying to hurt his brother.

As he says this, officer Eugene kneels in the back seat of the car.

A second squad car arrives at the scene and all three men are arrested.

In an interview with WJTV 12, Eugene said that when the officer stopped him, he asked his name and put his hands out of the car’s window.

The motorist admits he didn’t do what he was told but was pulled out of the car.

Eugene says the patrolman asked him if he smoked and drank. He said he didn’t smoke but was a drinker. He just hadn’t drunk that day. The officer reportedly found nothing on him or in his car.

“He came back to the car, he didn’t find anything, he said, ‘You go with me,'” says Eugene. “I said, ‘Why go with you?'”

“He said, ‘You’re going with me because you said you smoke weed and do 35 out of 30 [speed limit].'”

Eugene says he called him a racist, and after saying so, the patrol punched him in the throat.

“I can’t let this go because I know I didn’t do anything to him. And I know the same white guy that comes out here and does another black guy like that.”

“If nobody was there, I don’t know what they would have done to me,” Eugene explained.

Since the video was posted to Facebook at 7:19 p.m. on the day of the incident, it has been viewed over 468,000 times, shared over 12,000 and received over 5,000 comments.

On Monday, August 8, Packer wrote on his profile, “I really appreciate all the love and support in this situation, first I want to thank God for impaling my brother’s life.”

“Honestly believe that if this situation happened at night, either I or my brother would have been gunned down or seriously injured,” Packer wrote. “We don’t need officers here to protect and serve like this soldier.”

Packer shared that they stayed in jail over the weekend, saying “for absolutely nothing.”

“Sad, but it’s the world we live in,” he continued, before asking, “How could a police officer or police officer make you leave and you watch him physically harm your family?” Sorry sir I am not going and want the suffering whatever the consequences, once again I appreciate all the love and support that is being shown. Myself and my family greatly and genuinely appreciate the love and support in this situation, could easily have been your family or child. We will not let this go, justice please.”

The next day after the incident, Saturday, August 6, McComb City Mayor Quordiniah Lockley released a statement on his social media about the incident, saying he was “concerned”.

“I know many of you, like me, have seen the video of the Mississippi Highway Patrol Officer and Mr. Eugene Lewis. I am concerned and concerned about this,” it said.

Lockley shared that he viewed the video multiple times the night it occurred.

“I contacted Rep. Daryl Porter and asked him to intervene on behalf of the City of McComb because he was a Highway Patrol Officer,” he said. “I was informed this morning that an internal investigation is being conducted.”

The mayor asked the public to allow the investigation but encouraged people to keep speaking out.