The New Hampshire chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is calling for an investigation after three of four people recently arrested outside of a Manchester, New Hampshire bar claim that police used excessive force.
Manchester police said an officer was flagged down by a Bonfire Country Bar employee Sunday night who said a woman was kicked out of the bar but wouldn't leave. When police arrived to investigate, the situation escalated.
Cell phone video captured the moments after police say Brandon Bakios, 35, of Lowell, Massachusetts, tried to interfere in the investigation and then became combative.
Authorities say in the video, Bakios is on the ground resisting arrest, which is why one officer deployed his taser.
Bakio's girlfriend says he was just trying to hide his face from the punches.
"He tells me, 'You know, Katie, I wasn’t resisting, I was trying to protect myself,'" said Katie Lavertue.
The 31-year-old from Lowell, was also handcuffed and charged for trying to interfere in Bakios' arrest.
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Later in the video Bakios' friend, Daniel Ferrigno, 34, of Haverhill, can be seen.
"I was approaching Brandon who had just been beaten, I could see blood pouring off of him," Ferrigno said.
Police tell him to back up and he does, but not far enough. In a press release, Manchester Police say Ferrigno refused to leave the area and needed to tase him into compliance.
"I've backed up and I am standing there," Ferrigno said Tuesday while watching the video.
Ferrigno also said he thinks the stun from the taser came after his hands were behind his back.
"We weren't under arrest for anything, we hadn't committed a crime. The crime was when the officers grabbed us, the crime was assault and battery, they were assaulting us," Ferrigno said.
The incident happened on a busy stretch of Elm Street with a lot of businesses and security cameras. There is likely more videos that show different angles and might paint a different picture.
While the ACLU has called for local and state authorities to investigate, Manchester Police say they are looking into whether all of their officers followed protocol.
Bakios, Lavertue, Ferrigno, and a Bonfire Country Bar employee are expected to appear in the 9th Circuit Court-Manchester on Dec. 21.
