Police in Armagh have defended the use of force during two arrests on Saturday night after a video of the incident circulated on social media and drew concern from elected representatives.

At around 10.30pm, officers responded to a report of an assault at a bar on Railway Street. A man had allegedly been punched in the face and head-butted by a woman, who then with another man caused criminal damage, including smashing a window.

Upon arrival, police found the two suspects fighting in the street. When officers approached, both the man and woman attacked them, punching and kicking violently. The male suspect grabbed one officer around the neck and bit another, according to a PSNI spokesperson.

A video shared widely online appeared to show the man and a woman being restrained on the ground in the Shambles area. During the struggle, an officer can be seen striking the male suspect several times.

Sinn Féin councillors Sarah Duffy and John Óg O’Kane said they had been contacted by constituents alarmed by the footage. They requested an urgent meeting with the PSNI to discuss the circumstances and emphasised the need for openness to maintain public trust.

The police spokesperson stated that it was necessary for officers to use a degree of force to safely make arrests given the level of violence directed at them. The arrested man and woman were questioned on suspicion of a number of offences and released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.