Danish police watchdog to investigate officer kicking detainee

Denmark’s Independent Police Complaints Authority will investigate a video showing an officer apparently kicking a man lying on the ground during an arrest in Aarhus, Østjyllands Politi confirmed to Ritzau.

Duty officer Morten Hansen said police were aware of the circulating footage and had notified the watchdog. He declined to comment further as the case has been referred.

The incident occurred Saturday evening on Herredsvej, where police were conducting an arrest. Social media footage shows a man attempting to flee before being ordered to the ground by an officer. As he complies, a dog handler appears to run up and kick him. The exact point of contact is unclear.

Thomas Skou Roer, a police researcher and senior lecturer at Copenhagen Professionshøjskole, reviewed the video and called the use of force unusual. “It always looks violent when force is used, and it does here. But what’s striking is that I struggle to see the justification for this type of force in this situation,” he said. He noted that without knowing if the detainee posed an immediate threat, the force appeared disproportionate.

Authorities have not disclosed what preceded the incident, whether anyone was injured, or if any officers have been suspended. The complaints authority has not commented.

Complaints against police conduct have risen in recent years. In 2023, the watchdog received 1,258 complaints, a 24% increase from the previous year. Of the 694 cases resolved in 2025, only 3.7% resulted in criticism of police actions.