A video showing an Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) officer using excessive force during the arrest of a Korean man has ignited public outrage and prompted an internal investigation.
The video, originally posted to Facebook by local resident Maui Hill, shows Officer Alirio Arcenas repeatedly punching Jonathan Kim, a resident of Iowa City, during an arrest. The police excessive force captured in the 2-minute 30-second video has since gone viral.
Officer Seen Punching Suspect Multiple Times
In the video, Officer Arcenas forces Kim to the ground, presses on his face, and strikes his torso three times. He then climbs on top of Kim and delivers eight consecutive punches to his head. The scene closely resembles a “pounding” move often seen in mixed martial arts, where a fighter straddles and strikes a grounded opponent.
Kim briefly attempts to block the blows before going limp, appearing to lose consciousness. Arcenas then rolls him over, twists his arm, and handcuffs him while continuing to press on his head. At one point, Arcenas appears to check Kim’s face to see if he is still conscious.
Officer Claimed Self-Defense During Video
A bystander can be heard yelling, “So you punch him in the f*cking face?” Arcenas responds, “He punched me first. That’s how it works. Punch the cops, get punched.”
Lee Hermison, the public safety information officer for ICPD, told The Korea Daily that Kim was arrested on charges of Interference with Official Acts – Bodily Injury and for an outstanding Failure to Appear warrant. He added that Arcenas is a 16-year veteran of the department and that the officer sought medical treatment after the incident. An internal investigation into the use of force is underway.
Police Initially Withheld Details on Officer’s Use of Force
The arrest occurred around 11:43 a.m. on March 18 near Gilbert Court in Iowa City. According to the criminal complaint, Kim attempted to evade arrest despite an active warrant and punched Arcenas in the face during the scuffle. The officer sustained lacerations to his hand and lip.
However, authorities initially only disclosed that Kim had assaulted the officer. They did not acknowledge the officer’s repeated blows until the video circulated widely online, fueling further controversy.
Public Calls for Accountability After Video Emerges
The footage has attracted hundreds of comments, with most criticizing Arcenas’s actions. Common responses include: “Police brutality must be stopped,” and “Officers like this should not be allowed to serve.”
ICPD policy outlines that officers must use only the minimum force necessary, and that the level of force must be proportionate to the severity of the crime, the threat posed by the suspect, and the degree of resistance.
Reform Advocates Call for Training Review
Heather Erwin, policy coordinator for the Liberal Arts Beyond Bars program at the University of Iowa, emphasized the need to reassess how de-escalation training is implemented. In an interview with The Daily Iowan, she said it’s time to review the system that allows violent encounters to happen.
“We should ask, ‘What led up to this? What about our system is not working?’” she said. Erwin, who also serves on the board of Inside Out Reentry Community, called for more community-based interventions and less reliance on criminalization, adding that supporting people—rather than isolating them—helps keep communities safe.
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
