GROVELAND, Fla. – A police sergeant is under investigation following the release of body camera video.
The video shows Groveland Police Sgt. Charles Russell using profanity towards a man who police were trying to question.
"I was kind of taken aback. As was everyone who has seen it," said Groveland Police Chief Melvin Tennyson.
News 6 asked Tennyson for the video to view it. The incident happened Dec. 18, 2015.
According to a police report, a man called Lifestream telling the operator he had taken 45 pills and he wanted to die. This prompted a police check up.
The beginning of the video shows an officer knocking on the man's door asking him to step outside to talk. Once the man walks out police ask him to take his hands out of his pocket. Because he didn't do as asked, police restrained him.
It's not these parts of the video that have people concerned. It's the minutes after when Russell yelled profanities at the man.
"It was actually forwarded to me by the city manager last night asking if I had any knowledge about it or what it was about," said Tennyson.
This isn't the first time Russell's behaviors have been questioned.
On May 18, he was written up for comments he made on a social media page.
The write up states, "you made reference to sexual orientation in a discriminatory manner toward fellow police officers and displayed their photograph."
It goes on to say, "any further violation of this type may result in your termination of employment from the Groveland Police Department".
Tennyson says he wants more information on the case before he moves forward with the internal investigation and the future of Russell.
He's working to get additional body cam video from all angles and speak with everyone who was at the scene.
"The sppet is concerning. We are going to look into address it. I have initiated an internal review of the scenario as well as many others and we're going to follow through with it and address it and make sure it doesn't happen again," said Tennyson. "The fact that it occurred is what I'm concentrating on. Once that part is done then we'll look at what the motivation was for that particular thing and why it waited so long."
Russell continues to work at the department. He has been with the Groveland Police Department since January 2007.