A video of a Northern California deputy holding down and punching a 14-year-old boy has prompted a use-of-force investigation.
The video shows the Rancho Cordova deputy sheriff holding the boy down as the teen appears to struggle with him.
The deputy pins the boy's head to the ground before he punching him several times.
The video is short and does not show the beginning of the incident or how it ends.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sergeant Tess Deterding says the incident is being looked into, but explained why the deputy was in the area and what allegedly happened.
He was patrolling the area due to complaints about hand-to-hand sales of alcohol and drugs to minors and believed this boy was involved in a transaction.
As reported by ABC7:
Deterding said the deputy lost sight of the adult, who left the scene, and that the boy was uncooperative when approached. The 14 year old allegedly did not provide "basic identifying information" but said he was 18.
"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."