Video of police incident sparks controversy

A video that appears to show a Flagstaff police officer punching a woman directly in the face is sparking some controversy.

The cell phone, reportedly captured by the woman's boyfriend, was taken Wednesday afternoon, as the couple were getting evicted. When Flagstaff Police showed up, officers confronted the woman, who they believed had a warrant out for her arrest.

During the confrontation, the officer, identified by Flagstaff Police as Jeff Bonar, was seen punching the woman directly in the face. That woman was later arrested for resisting arrest.

Flagstaff Police released the following statement Wednesday night.

"On 11-16-16, at approximately 7:30 PM, the Flagstaff Police Department became aware of a Facebook video post of a Flagstaff Police Officer involved in the arrest of an adult female earlier this afternoon.

During the arrest the female, who appears somewhat uncooperative was struck in the face by the officer. Our agency is very concerned by what is depicted in this video. We are immediately initiating an internal investigation into this incident.

Further details will be released as the investigation progresses."