Footage of a black man being confronted by gun wielding officers while clearing rubbish in his garden has prompted an internal investigation at a police force in the US.
The officers accused the man of holding a weapon, which they told him to put down, though the object was actually a pair of clamps used to pick up debris.
Footage of the incident in Boulder, Colorado, was fimed by an angered neighbour who witnessed the scene unfold.
Police can be heard telling the man to “drop the weapon” and “sit down” while he protests his right to be at the property and that he is doing nothing wrong.
Shouting to the man filming, he said of one officer: “He’s got a gun in his hands.”
He then yelled at another: “I’m not sitting down and you can’t make me.
“He’s got a gun, he’s got a gun, he’s got a gun.
“This is my property this is my house I live here.
“You have a gun in your hand, I don’t have a weapon.”
The person behind the camera, Vanardo Merchant, shouted: “He’s picking up trash. This is gross.
“It’s not okay.”
Towards the end of the video a police officer can be heard telling the man "it's likely you've got profiled" and said this can be discussed but not at that moment.
Posting online, Mr Merchant stated the man was simply holding a litter picker and a bucket, while he said eight officers came in total.
After the clip of the altercation spread online, Boulder police department stated it is looking into how the events unfolded.
A statement from the force said an officer initially stopped the man after seeing him sat in a “partially enclosed patio area” near to a “private property” sign.
This continued: “The officer detained the man to investigate further and made a request over the radio for additional assistance to respond indicating that the person was uncooperative and unwilling to put down a blunt object.
“Several officers responded including a supervisor. The object the man was holding was used to pick up trash.”
Following this police determined the man was rightfully on the property and no further action was taken.
An internal affairs investigation has been launched, which will take up to 90 days to complete.
