VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A viral video showing an officer detaining a Black man at a Virginia mall as he and his family were eating has prompted a review of the incident by the city’s police department.
The video shared Sunday on Instagram shows an officer handcuffing the man while he was eating with his family in Virginia Beach.
The city's police department said in a statement that the man had matched a description of a suspect at the mall.
Police say another man was subsequently arrested.
A woman who was with the detained man could be heard telling police they got the wrong person and he was released a short time later.
Virginia Beach's police chief has apologized for the incident.
“Right or wrong, we have to be able to apologize when our actions greatly inconvenience a member of the community," said Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate.
“Certainly, anyone would be upset about being detained for something they didn’t do," he said “While the video shows the officer stayed calm and respectful throughout the brief encounter, we must ensure the situation merits the response. We are gathering all the facts to evaluate the incident so we can address the concerns people have raised."
