A POLICE officer has been suspended from duty following a video that went viral showing a man being repeatedly punched in the head during an arrest in Porthmadog.
North Wales Police have tonight (Friday) issued a statement on the incident, which is being investigated by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The police force said: "We can confirm that the officer involved has been suspended from duty.
"The IOPC are leading the investigation and we are therefore unable to provide any further information.
"In relation to the man arrested we can confirm that he was released on bail."
The video, which was filmed on Wednesday in Porthmadog, showing a man being punched in the side of the head nine times whilst in a headlock and pinned to the ground, has been viewed more than one million times.
A second clip showed the same man with a badly cut and bruised face being escorted into a police vehicle.
The IOPC said on Thursday it understands officers arrested a man at an address after being called to a 'domestic incident.'
It added it had been advised that the man was taken to hospital for treatment after the arrest before being transferred into custody.
IOPC Director David Ford said: “Footage on social media, capturing part of the interaction between police officers and the arrested man has, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern.
"It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate the whole incident, in order to establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.” North Wales' Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, called the footage 'concerning' in a tweet on Thursday.