German police accused of racism after arrest video goes viral

BERLIN (AA) - German police are facing heavy criticism after a viral video showed a police officer making racist slurs and using excessive force while arresting a father in front of his terrified children.

The video, shared by a lawmaker on social media, shows two police officers wrestling a man to the ground at his home in Berlin while his children are crying and his wife pleads with the officers not to hurt her husband.

One of the police officers can be heard shouting to the woman: "This is my land and you’re a guest here."

A little later in the video, the officer tells the immigrant family: "You are here in our country. You have to behave according to our laws."

Continuing his threats, the officer also tells the woman: “Shut the f*** up, don’t touch me again. Or I’ll take you to prison.”

Sharing the video on Twitter, Left Party lawmaker Ferat Kocak challenged the conduct of the police officers.

“Racism in the Berlin Police #Policeproblem,” he wrote on Twitter.

- Police open investigation

Berlin police said in an official statement Tuesday that an investigation began last Friday of an officer on suspicion of using xenophobic insults.

According to the statement, police officers visited the apartment in the early morning of Sept. 9 pursuing an arrest warrant for the man, who was accused of fraudulently receiving benefits.

The man was said to have resisted arrest and was then brought to the ground by the officers. In addition, he was handcuffed.

The man’s wife then tried to free her husband from police custody, but was blocked by the police, said the report.

After the incident, the man and his wife filed a complaint against the police officers for using excessive force and xenophobic insults. They also gave videos to the authorities as proof.

The Berlin police statement said the couple’s complaint was taken by a department not involved in the arrest. The investigation is ongoing, it added.