Police officer held in Spain over suspect's chokehold death

Madrid: An off duty police officer has been arrested in Spain after allegedly choking a suspected thief to death while restraining him in a Madrid sub...

Madrid: An off-duty police officer has been arrested in Spain after allegedly choking a suspected thief to death while restraining him in a Madrid suburb, authorities said on Thursday.

The incident occurred overnight Tuesday to Wednesday in Torrejon de Ardoz, just east of the Spanish capital.

According to a National Police spokeswoman, a Madrid municipal police officer chased and caught a man, who had allegedly stolen his phone.

Video footage published by Spanish media shows the officer, dressed in plain clothes, pinning the man to the ground with his arm around the suspect's neck as he waits for on-duty police to arrive.

Several bystanders can be heard pleading with the officer to release his grip.