BERLIN

A video showing a German police officer kicking a man in the head during an arrest drew widespread criticism on social media.

The video, which was recorded and uploaded by a passerby, shows a police officer punching a man multiple times in the head while he was lying on the ground during an arrest in the city of Pforzheim.

Following criticism in social media, Pforzheim’s police department confirmed that the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the northern part of the city, but denied any wrongdoing.

The police claimed that the suspect, a 25-year-old Portuguese citizen, violently attacked officers during the incident, and test after his arrest showed that his blood alcohol level was 2.2 promille (mg per ml of blood).