Arrest video shows Austin police officer punching restrained man

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Video shot in a bar in Austin went viral last week after it showed a man being arrested by authorities.

The video racked up thousands of views because of the intensity of the take-down.

Austin's police chief says there's more to the story than what is being seen in the video.

"I understand the community's concern over the video as it was posted. I'm not sure that it was readily known that the suspect, at that time, was in possession of a deadly weapon, and had in fact threatened someone earlier," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.

Chief Manley showed pictures of the suspect, Justin Grant, with a knife in his belt. The chief said Grant had threatened bar employees with the weapon before police arrived.

"At that point, the suspect grabbed a hold of (the officer's) taser as (the officer) was trying to use it and that's when he began striking the suspect," Chief Manley said.

Austin Police Department allows for officers to defend themselves when someone is reaching for a deadly weapon.

"But I still think there's probably concern over the tactic, and that's why we're going to continue our review," Chief Manley said.

Witnesses questioned whether the amount of force used in the incident was necessary.

"They're here to serve and protect us, and we shouldn't be afraid of our police officers. There were a lot of people who were afraid that night. I think that's the whole issue with this incident APD's lost some trust, and now it's on them to earn that trust back," witness Peter Nicholas said.

Chief Manley said that the department does not have footage of the incident. The cameras outside the bar were not pointed towards the area where officers arrested the man.