Redding police chief: Officer suspended after stomping on suspect's head

A Redding police officer has been placed on leave after he was seen "forcefully stepping" on a suspect's head as he and other officers attempted to arrest him last week.

The officer was not named by Redding Police Chief Bill Schueller, who posted an announcement of the incident on Facebook on Sunday.

The chief said he placed the officer on leave after a video of the arrest, involving several Redding police officers, was posted on Facebook.

"Some of the force used is disturbing and may violate the standards of training and conduct required by members of the Redding Police Department," Schueller said.

Schueller said officers attempted to arrest Kevin Donald Hursey, 39, for allegedly trying to break into parked cars in the parking lot of a hospice care in the 1200 block of Willis Street in Redding on Monday, Jan. 23.

Officers at first tried to de-escalate their confrontation with Hursey, Schueller said. But the incident became combative, Schueller said.

Staff at the care facility told police that Hursey attempted to pull something out of his pocket before they called police.

"He was uncooperative with officers, appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and continued to place his hand in his waistband as though he was trying to retrieve a weapon," Schueller said in his post.

Hursey fought with officers, who shot him with a less-than-lethal bean bag round from a firearm and used a canine to subdue the man, Schueller said.

"Ultimately, the man was taken into custody after a significant struggle. The end of the video shows one Redding police officer forcefully stepping on the head of the suspect," Schueller said.

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave and his peace officer's powers have been suspended, Schueller said.

Hursey received minor to moderate injuries in the incident. He was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of resisting a peace officer, violence against an officer, prowling, vehicle tampering, interfering with a police canine, public intoxication and violating terms of his probation.

The Anderson Police Department is conducting an investigation into the incident, and the Redding Police Department's professional standards unit is also conducting an investigation, Schueller said.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding officer suspended after stomping on suspect's head