Man seen hitting and kicking young child in viral video now in custody

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A disturbing viral video shows what appears to be a man yelling, hitting and kicking a young child, while the child is wrapped in a blanket.

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Law enforcement sources told Action News Jax’s Ben Ryan the man seen in the video is now in custody, facing an aggravated child abuse charge.

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Action News Jax didn’t play the video on air and only showed a few screenshots because you can hear the young child screaming. Action News Jax also blurred out all the kids in the room.

“I can’t watch the whole thing,” one woman said.

The video was shared thousands of times online and brought outrage from the community. Dozens of people commented on the online posts, expressing their concerns and many saying they contacted police.

“I think we all should be mad, I think we should all be upset and see should see justice happen,” the woman said.

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Action News Jax cameras were rolling when officers in tactical vests and the K9 unit were at the Cypress Landing apartment complex and he was walked out and put into an ambulance.

Some neighbors saw it unfold.

“I seen a bunch of police cars and a dog, I heard stuff going on under me like they was tackling and dragging somebody or whatever,” one neighbor said. “By the time I was able to came outside he was in handcuffs and had a whole chunk missing out his neck.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the children have been removed from the home. Officers were called to the complex on Monday before the video went viral.

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Neighbors who live in the same building as the man in custody said the video was difficult to watch.

“I’ve seen these kids playing outside and stuff so to know that stuff was going on behind closed doors is really unfortunate,” she said.

A police report said the child didn’t have any visible injuries, but Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson, a criminal defense attorney who spent decades in law enforcement, said the video shows the man’s intensity and sometimes it takes time for an injury to show.

The report also said DCF was called and will be doing a further investigation.

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