Police officers in Eugene, Oregon were making a drug arrest in the city's downtown Friday afternoon when they were confronted by an angry mob.
Police used pepper spray and a Taser on people in the crowd estimated to be as large as 75 people, according to The Register-Guard. One officer was treated by medics for pepper spray in his eyes and another officer sustained injuries to his hand.
A video posted to YouTube shows the officers taking more than five minutes to subdue a man.
At one point, an officer uses a Taser on the man as he is held against patrol car. As officers worked to keep the crowd under control, the onlookers grew more agitated, shouting at the officers.
Eugene Police Capt. Sam Kamkar said the intent of many in the crowd was to interfere with the officers and the arrest.
"Frankly, they were trying to intimidate the officers, which was completely unacceptable," he said. "It was a chaotic scene, trying to get this person into custody while there is pushing and shoving and screaming. The crowd was getting closer and closer."
Twenty witnesses had been interviewed by detectives about the incident late Friday afternoon.
