County to Pay $650,000 to Suspected Horse Thief Beaten by Deputies on Camera

San Bernardino County will pay $650,000 to the man deputies punched and kicked this month following a horseback pursuit captured on video by a KNBC-TV Channel 4 helicopter.

Anticipating a lawsuit, San Bernardino County Supervisors said the settlement will help avoid the legal costs of going to court, according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to the newspaper, the FBI is conducting a civil rights investigation into the April 9 incident, and ten deputies have been placed on paid leave.

“I am disturbed and troubled by what I see in the video,” San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told the LA Times. “It does not appear to be in line with our policies and procedures.”

The deputies were widely condemned after the NBC video showed them repeatedly punching and kicked suspected horse thief Francis Pusok as he lay on the ground.