DA probes Raleigh arrest footage showing man kicked & repeatedly hit with baton (VIDEO)

An investigation is underway in Raleigh, North Carolina, after mobile phone footage emerged showing cops repeatedly striking a suspect while he is on the ground.

Frederick Darnell Hall was filmed engaging in a violent altercation with officers from the Raleigh Police Department on Friday. Footage of the incident is now the subject of an investigation after officers were seen to hit Hall repeatedly, a number of times with a baton, while he was being subdued on the ground.

Footage of Hall’s arrest has since gone viral over social media. The video, which does not show exactly what preceded the violence, shows Hall aiming punches at four cops in the middle of an intersection at Garner Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Secondary clips seen by RT.com show Hall being struck by a police officer’s truncheon while on the ground. The person filming the arrest can also be heard reacting in shock when one of the police officers appears to kick Hall in the head as five cops join in on the arrest.

A Raleigh-Apex NAACP spokesperson said the community is “puzzled” over the incident given that police are trained to arrest people without causing them harm.

Hall is in now police custody over the incident, according to Raleigh’s News Observer, which states that the 44-year-old was charged with assaulting law enforcement, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Meanwhile, Hall’s family have spoken out, telling local media that he has a history of mental illness. They have complained about not being able to see Hall at Wake County Detention Center.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has appealed for calm in the community while authorities determine whether the police officers involved used excessive force.

“I am in consultation with the State Bureau of Investigation and once we have completed a review, will be making a determination as to what the appropriate next steps are,” Freeman said. “We are requesting the community's patience as we go through this process."

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called for people to send information to the Wake County District Attorney’s Office to assist in a review of the arrest.