A video has emerged of a man in Chicago being punched repeatedly by an arresting officer inside a holding cell just days after the release of the controversial footage showing the beating Tyre Nichols suffered at the hands of Memphis, Tennessee, police.
The incident involving Damien Stewart happened in 2019 after he was pulled over in a traffic stop and was allegedly found with a gun, which he slightly raised at officers before they fought over the weapon.
"What has not been resolved is the general fear and the trauma. These officers are still on the street," community activist William Calloway was quoted by Block Club Chicago as saying Tuesday night alongside Stewart as the video was made public.
"I want to applaud Mr. Stewart, because it’s what he witnessed in Memphis that made him want to come out and tell his story," he added.
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The video, which has no audio, appears to show tension developing between Stewart and a police officer as his arms are being inspected during a pat down inside his cell.
Stewart then stands up and the other officer participating in the pat down rubs his head before bending over to pick up something off the floor.
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When that officer stands up and turns around, Stewart is seen confronting him and a physical struggle ensues, during which the officer punches Stewart at least 18 times before he is restrained on the ground, the video shows.
The Chicago Police Department told Fox News Digital that Sgt. Jerald Williams served a 15-day suspension in November 2021 and Officer Enrique Delgado Fernandez "served a 10-day suspension in April 2022 following the disciplinary grievance process."
A lawsuit filed by Stewart following the videotaped attack was settled for $45,000 in November 2021, Block Club Chicago reports.
Both Stewart and Calloway called Tuesday for the officers to be fired, the website added.
