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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Cell phone videos showing disturbing arrests of high school football players by Harris County sheriff’s deputies have led to an internal investigation.
When Langham Creek High School senior Kristopher Willis’ car ran out of gas, he called two of his football teammates for help. But when they showed up, they were instead pulled over, arrested, and charged with a crime.
In a video first shared on Facebook, Seth Palumbo, a varsity football player, is seen being violently pulled out of his car by a deputy. Several other deputies surround the car. Palumbo is then slammed to the ground by the deputy, while his classmate, sitting in the passenger seat, recorded what happened.
Another angle shot by Willis, the one who got stuck in the first place, shows the arrest from outside the car.
Both Willis and Palumbo were arrested.
Palumbo has been charged with felony assaulting a peace officer, while Willis faces a misdemeanor count of impeding a roadway. Friends say that charge makes no sense since he was only in the roadway because he ran out of gas and was waiting for help.
After the video surfaced on Facebook and shared hundreds of times, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office looked into the situation and released this statement:
“The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is aware of online videos about a recent arrest in west Harris County.
After reviewing the videos, we are investigating the incident to determine if any policies and procedures were violated.
One deputy has been temporarily reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation.
We take these matters seriously and will ensure a thorough investigation is completed in a timely manner.
Our deputies are held to the highest standard of professionalism, and any employee whose conduct does not align with departmental policies will be held accountable for their actions.”