Santa Ana crowd rushes officers trying to make arrest; 5 arrested

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SANTA ANA, Calif. - Santa Ana police arrested five people over the weekend who are accused of assaulting officers who were trying to arrest someone. With video of the confrontation gaining a lot of attention online, the department said it's investigating officers' use of force that night.

What we know:

The incident happened around 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 22, on W. Third Street in downtown Santa Ana.

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According to the Santa Ana Police Department, officers were trying to arrest a man who was accused of drinking in public after nearby bars and restaurants had closed. That's when police said five people assaulted the officers.

Dig deeper:

Video posted to social media shows part of the incident. In the video, two officers can be seen pinning a man down to the street. A woman is next to the officers, and seems to grab one of the officers' shoulders. That officer then grabs the woman by the hair and pulls her to the asphalt.

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Immediately, two men rushed in and shoved the officer to the ground. Then more officers jumped in and tackled the two men, swatting them repeatedly with their batons. Another officer shoved a man into a fence repeatedly, and eventually pointed what appeared to be his Taser at the man until he backed off.

That's where the video ends.

What they're saying:

By the time it was all over, police said they had arrested three men and two women, in addition to the man officers were initially trying to arrest. Three officers were injured with cuts and abrasions, the department told City News Service.

In a statement to FOX 11, SAPD Chief Robert Rodriguez said that he is aware of the incident, and that the department is investigating what happened.

"We understand the concerns that arise when force is used, and we want to assure our community that the incident is being thoroughly reviewed, just as we do with all use of force incidents," Rodriguez said. "We also want to remind the public that interfering with an arrest or striking an officer is unlawful and dangerous."