PEMBROKE — The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the police department here in an investigation into a video posted Monday on social media that shows an officer engaging in forceful behavior.

Messaging attached to the video posted to Facebook at 11:59 p.m. alleges Pembroke Police Officer Timothy Ryan Locklear, who also is chief of the Pembroke Fire Department, engaged in “police brutality.” The video posted by Steven Locklear shows snippets of an officer interacting with about five people, often pushing them onto a bench in what appears to be Walmart.

Pembroke Chief of Police Ed Locklear released a statement Tuesday afternoon. He did not release the name of the officer involved.

“On May 17th, 2021 the Pembroke Police Department was made aware of a video that was posted on Facebook which showed an Officer’s interaction with 5 subjects in 5 short clips. The Department has reviewed the video and the matter is currently being investigated. The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation,” Locklear’s written statement reads.

“At this time the Officer has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of the investigation. The Town of Pembroke and the Pembroke Police Department is dedicated to providing quality professional service, while protecting life and property, through community partnerships and strong community relations,” the statement reads.

Locklear said only limited information could be released Tuesday afternoon because it is an open investigation.

Walmart did not comment on the social media post or video, but a Media Relations representative said the company would look into the matter.

The post was shared more than 720 times and viewed more than 3,000 times as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. There were more than 90 reactions to post.

Multiple officers were seen in some interactions, but the additional officer’s face can’t be seen. The video does not include audio and does not show the full image frames of all incidents, thus preventing all police officers and other people involved from being seen clearly. The video also does not contain full footage from each encounter recorded.

The Robesonian will update this story as more information becomes available.