KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
What happened to a man is now raising questions about whether Kansas City police went too far.
The incident happened at 24th Street and Cypress Avenue in the middle of the afternoon Oct. 5. Witnesses said they saw a man jump out of a car and take off running with officers chasing behind. The chase ended around the corner and it left one officer suspended while an investigation continues of possible excessive force.
On the October afternoon police said they spotted Alfredo Ponce driving a car they believe had just been stolen in an armed robbery. They stopped the car at 24th and Cypress, but said Pone ran and then turned to fight police.
A witness said Ponce swung first against the officers.
"I saw the young man tee'd off on the police, he got him, he got him good," Bobbi Ealom said.
But that wasn't the end of the situation.
"They both rushed him, and he come up this way running. They caught him up here and beat him down," Ealom said.
Ponce's mug shot after the incident shows a black and blue eye and bruising on other parts of his face. He is being held at the Jackson County Jail.
When asked about the incident, police spokesman Capt. Tye Grant gave the following statement.
"During an internal review of the arrest information, which is a normal internal process, it was determined that an officer who was involved in the arrest responded in a manner that required further review. This review is currently being investigated as a possible criminal offense of assault."
No charges have been filed against the officer, so police are not releasing his name.
"When you see someone get hurt like that, it's upsetting," Ealom said.
She said the case could hurt how some people see the police around her neighborhood, but she said that won't change things for her.
"Well, to be truthful, if you wouldn't have stolen the car, hit the cop, it wouldn't have never happened," Ealom said.
Officers in two other counties have arrested Ponce in the past.
The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office would not confirm Friday whether they are looking into the case.