HALLANDALE BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man’s arrest in Hallandale Beach has some asking if police went too far in their takedown.

A 7News viewer, who did not want to be identified, witnessed the incident on Thursday afternoon as Hallandale Beach Police arrested a burglary suspect in the 900 block of West Hallandale Beach Blvd. The man, identified as 27-year-old Daniel Dunkelberger, is accused of stealing a cell phone.

The witness said the man was punched multiple times before what is seen in a video captured by another witness. At one point during the recording, the witness began yelling at the officers to stop hitting the man.

Video shows the officers appearing to take turns hitting the man with expandable batons multiple times while he is standing near the police cruiser,and once when he was on the ground.

Daniel Dunkelberger

“Doesn’t that hurt?” one person can be heard saying in the recording as the suspect screams in pain.

“He doesn’t deserve to be hit after he’s on the ground,” a witness said to the officers. “He was on the ground and you’re hitting him. You want to see the footage?”

“Show him the footage!” Dunkelberger yelled toward the camera. “My head’s busted open!”

Witnesses told 7News the man was also punched with closed fists and hit in the head with handcuffs causing him to bleed, neither of which were captured on video.

Dunkelberger’s mother, Linda Dunkelberger, said it pained her to watch the footage of her son being struck.

“It hurts very badly. Very badly,” said Linda.

Linda said Dunkelberger has mental challenges.

“To be beating him, it makes no sense to me,” said Linda. “I don’t understand this.”

Dunkelberger was reportedly taken from the scene in an ambulance. He was charged with one count of burglary to an unoccupied vehicle and resisting arrest without violence.

Hallandale Beach Police released a statement, saying, “We are aware of the video that was released to the media today. We ask the public and media to remain patient while we conduct a thorough and objective internal affairs investigation. We also would like the opportunity to obtain all video surveillance from the area.”

In a press conference, Hallandale Beach city manager Roger Carlton said the incident “is of serious concern” and said the two officers are under investigation and have been put on administrative leave.

“We are concerned. I want to be very candid about that,” Carlton said. “Like any city, we have crime, and we want our people to be protected, but we also want everybody to be treated fairly.”

“Our Police Department has launched an internal affairs investigation, and both officers involved have been placed on administrative leave until the investigation concludes. Our Police Department is handling this by the book so that the rights of all involved are respected,” Hallandale Beach Mayor Keith London said in a statement. “I have full confidence in our administration to get to the bottom of what happened and whether it was in line or out of line with our policies and procedures.”

Even though he’s had his run-ins with the law, Dunkelberger’s mother wants him home.

“Then he was on the ground. What’s he gonna do then? You hear him screaming. You know he’s hurting,” said Linda, “and then I heard him say, ‘Yeah, that hurts. You think that hurts?’ I mean, come on. You’re gonna antagonize him after he’s already being beat?”

As the internal affairs investigation plays out, police said they’re going to look at surveillance video in the area in hopes of figuring out what happened.

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