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The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:49 PM

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Former NFL Player Slammed To Ground By Police Near Atlanta
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. (WSWG) -- A former NFL player says that he was injured when Georgia police arrested him after he allegedly made threats against a person he said threw a cup of coffee at his car, reports CBS affiliate WMAZ. The officer involved in the incident has been reassigned to administrative duty, the Henry County Police Department said Friday night.

An on-looker captured about one minute of the arrest on video. The video shows Desmond Marrow being slammed to the ground before being pinned into a position with one officer's hand on his throat.

A by-stander can be heard saying "this is unbelievable."

The video was posted to Facebook Thursday and apparently shows a December 2017 arrest.

WMAZ reports that according to NFL.com, Marrow is a defense back from the University of Toledo and was an un-drafted player by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. He never made it out of pre-season, and it was his last time suited up for any NFL team.

In the video, which doesn't have a date stamp, Marrow appears to be handcuffed.

"I'm not even fighting back," shouts Marrow before one officer lifts his right leg and they throw him to the ground.

Soon after, one officer can be seen kneeling near Marrow's head and grabbing him by the throat. At one point, Marrow can be heard saying "I can't breathe."

Marrow then appears to go limp, but there is no confirmation if he's in or out consciousness.

On his Facebook page, Marrow says officers claimed he had a gun in his pocket, but he says it was only a cellphone. He also wrote that police "knocked my teeth out, slammed me on my head and choked me out until I was unconscious. In addition I suffered a shoulder strain and a concussion."