Police officers have been accused of "brutality" after a shocking video emerged of a man in his underwear being tackled to the ground and "punched in the face."

An onlooker and her family were waiting for a table outside a restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, September 14, when she witnesses the troubling encounter.

A video shows the man in his underwear and sunglasses standing on the sidewalk - before he is tackled from behind by a cop.

Two more officers join in "repeatedly punching" the man "in the face and kneeing" him."

Michelle, the onlooker, began recording what initially seemed like an unusual but not alarming situation — but it quickly escalated.

"We were at the corner of East Trade and South College Street, getting ready for our dinner reservation," she recalls. "

"The first thing we noticed was the man outside in his underwear. "

"He seemed to be taunting the police, but they didn't make an immediate arrest."

In the video, the shirtless man can be seen exhibiting odd behavior while police officers and security appeared to be monitoring the situation.

They appeared to be from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and a security services company.

What Michelle filmed next was shocking: an officer suddenly tackled the man from behind, and a struggle ensued.

"They just couldn't seem to restrain him," she says. "But what really upset me was when they started punching him in the face. "

I understood that they had to use some force, but that was extreme. I kept asking myself, ‘Why haven't they arrested him yet?'"

"I get that he was strong and difficult to control, but there are other ways to subdue someone without repeatedly punching them in the face and kneeing them. "

"He wasn't hitting them back. I just don't see the point of beating someone like that."

"I would consider it police brutality."

The incident left Michelle with mixed feelings about law enforcement.

"I'm not anti-cop, absolutely not," she said."

"But there are several times when they abuse their power, and this felt like one of those times. "

"I hope both the man and the officers are okay, but what I saw that night was unnecessary."

The fatal arrest of George Floyd in 2020, when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, sparked international protests.

As conversations about police reform continue to sweep the nation, Michelle's video serves as a reminder that such incidents are still happening.

"I just hope people take a closer look at these situations," she adds. "It's not about being for or against the police — it's about accountability."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and the security company did not reply to a request for comment.