“3 undercover police officers tackled, restrained and maced a black man in the eye for several minutes for not paying 75 cents of his fare. Driver says Metro is cracking down and people say the officers are known for macing people over bus fare. 10 police eventually showed up on the scene,” Facebook user JaVonni Brustow wrote as the caption for the video.Several people were seen filming the incident, as witnesses coughed as mace filled the bus.
“This was very overwhelming to watch. I inhaled pepper spray, all these police came, he refused to get off, he was screaming… It was really awful to watch,” Brustow wrote.
Witnesses screamed at police, warning them that they were being recorded and clearly angry about the seemingly excessive force they were witnessing.
“You’re all going to be on Fox News tonight,” one woman who is also filming warns the officers.
Witnesses defended the unidentified man, insisting that he paid his fare.