California police are investigating a viral video showing an officer punching a 14-year-old on the ground

• California authorities have launched an investigation after a viral video showed a deputy punching a 14-year-old boy during an arrest.
• The video triggered outrage at the level of force the officer used against the child. A number of elected officials, including as Sen. Kamala Harris, weighed in to call it a "horrific abuse of power."
• The Rancho Cordova Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that "it's important to put video footage into context, especially in relation to a use of force incident."
• The statement said the deputy had seen a "hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and a juvenile," and approached the boy, who was "uncooperative" and refused to be detained.
• The 15-second video showed the white deputy struggling to handcuff the black teenager, then punching the boy several times before flipping him over on his stomach.
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Authorities in California are investigating after a viral video showed a police officer punching a 14-year-old boy he sought to detain.

The 15-second video, which was tweeted out by lawmakers, including Sen. Kamala Harris of California, showed a white officer struggling to handcuff a black teenager, then punching the boy several times before flipping him over on his stomach.

Bystanders could be heard yelling "stop!" as the officer punched the boy.

The Rancho Cordova Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the incident was under investigation, but added that "it's important to put video footage into context, especially in relation to a use of force incident."

The statement also suggested that the deputy resorted to force because the boy resisted.

"This type of situation is hard on everyone — the young man, who resisted arrest, and the officer, who would much rather have him cooperate," the statement, by Sgt. Tess Deterding, said.

Deterding said the altercation occurred April 27 after the deputy saw "what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and a juvenile." The deputy approached and found the boy to be "uncooperative," Deterding said.

"Having reasonable suspicion that criminal activity was occurring, the deputy attempted to detain the juvenile so he could conduct further investigation," the statement said. "The juvenile became physically resistive at that time, causing the deputy to lose control of his handcuffs, which landed several feet away. The deputy attempted to maintain control of the juvenile without his handcuffs and while alone waiting for his partners to arrive and assist him."

Deterding's statement said the deputy later found tobacco products on the boy, "which is presumably the reason for his resistance."

The boy was cited and released to his guardians, Deterding added.

The video triggered outrage at the level of force used against the child. Harris tweeted that the incident was "a horrific abuse of power. This officer must be held accountable."

Julian Castro, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development and ex-2020 Democratic candidate, also weighed in.

"This video of a @RanchoCordovaPD officer beating a 14-year-old is sickening, and demands immediate action," he said. "How many of these videos must we see before we do something about police violence in this country?"