Shocking footage captured the moment a Spanish cop slapped a tourist who allegedly swore at him after complaining about police treatment of African beach sellers in Marbella.
The incident took place at Faro Beach, located at the popular holiday resort Playa del Faro, on Saturday afternoon.
The Marbella-based officer, who was seen in the clip wearing a helmet to protect his head, slapped the elderly man twice around the face despite the fact there seemed to be prior physical provocation.
The unidentified holidaymaker appeared to yell ‘hijo de puta’, which translates in English to ‘son of a b****’, before being hit.
Local reports have claimed the tourist had been voicing his discontent at the cop over his aggressive attitude towards the African beach sellers who gather on Marbella’s seafront in the summer and sell counterfeit goods like sunglasses and bags in breach of municipal regulations.
Police officers were reportedly seen pushing one of them before the holidaymaker assault as other chased fellow street sellers trying to run away with their belongings.
Despite the clip appearing to identify the police officer as the aggressor, the elderly tourist is understood to have been arrested.
Another tourist donning a pair of swimming trunks, filmed being surrounded by seven officers and pinned to the ground following a shouting match, attempted to intervene but also ended up being arrested.
Sources claimed today, as the video footage now going viral was being looked at by local authorities to determine whether any officers should face disciplinary action, that one of the detainees threw a bottle at cops.
He is reportedly denying the allegation.
The beachfront drama occurred around a fortnight after another African street vendor was filmed punching a policeman in the face as he tried to stop him confiscating the counterfeit goods he was selling at a Marbella beach bar.
The vendors, known locally as ‘looky looky men’, were seen pummelling one cop after taking him down.
In a separate video, one vendor appeared to have broken part of the officer’s helmet while punching him in the face.
As one man repeatedly punched and kicked the police officer, the other took a moment to pick up his fallen wares.
The two vendors then quickly escape, and the beaten officer was joined by a backup cop, all while tourists vacated the area.
The astonishing scene unfolded in front of British tourists, with one forced to jump out of the way as the violence flared yelling: ‘What the f***! That was mental.’
Another was heard exclaiming: ‘That was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen.’
Police later claimed the ‘looky looky’ men they have to deal with on a regular basis are getting more and more aggressive and don’t think twice about employing violence when cops try to stop them and seize their merchandise because they know the courts will let them off with little more than a fine if they can be tracked down and identified.
Marbella Town Hall has not yet commented on the actions of the police officer seen slapping the tourist filmed insulting him at the weekend.
They said the incident had happened during a routine police inspection against itinerant street trading.
Police officers on quads are carrying out more regular inspections during the summer in Marbella.
