San Diego police respond to viral video showing arrest in Gaslamp Quarter NBC 7 San Diego

Video of a wild arrest in the Gaslamp Quarter over the weekend has been making the rounds on social media and getting some criticism. Now, San Diego police are explaining what they say happened and how officers are stretched thin trying to deal with big weekend crowds downtown.

On Friday, San Diego police bike officers forcefully took down a man in a downtown parking lot at 6th and E. Police reported that he ran from them when they encountered a person beaten unconscious near the Omertà night club in the Gaslamp Quarter. Onlookers recorded the video and shared it with an online media site.

Capt. Ryan Hallahan spoke to reporters Thursday after the video went viral.

“He knew we were officers, said he was afraid, and that’s why he ran,” Hallahan said when describing the overall incident.

The video shows a man dropping and sitting down between two cars while surrounded by several officers on bikes who jump off their bikes and …