Columbia Police officers being investigated for ‘use of force’ incident early Sunday morning

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sunday around 12:46 a.m., several Columbia Police officers were recorded allegedly using force with a subject. The video and incident are now being investigated by the Columbia Police Department and Boone County Sheriff's Office.

The incident happened in the 20th block of South 10th Street, in the area of several popular Downtown Columbia bars. Columbia Police did not immediately reveal what type of incident the officers were responding to or details about what happened in the video.

An eyewitness told ABC 17 they started recording on their phone after they saw officers struggling with the man.

"At my request, an independent criminal investigation into the officers' conduct is being conducted by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The criminal investigation is already under way, and CPD will provide all available reports and recordings to the Sheriff’s Office," Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones said in a news release.

According to the news release, the officers are on leave during the investigation.

"Police use of force must be reasonable," Jones said. "We have a high expectation that officers act appropriately when using force, and they are expected to intervene when they observe force that is not to these standards. I will enforce that expectation."

Columbia Police said additional information may become available at a later date.

Columbia Police shared links to department policies, including Use of Force policy, Complaints, Internal Investigations and Discipline, Investigation Timelines and Blue Team Routing for Use of Force Complaints.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.