Mother says son 'badly bruised' following controversial arrest involving Wildwood officer

WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office is investigating after video shows a controversial arrest involving a police officer in Wildwood, New Jersey.

The incident happened on July 12 around 3 a.m. on the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue.

A video now making the rounds on social media begins as a man is surrounded by Wildwood police officers and held down by others.

Then video shows one officer punching the man repeatedly.

A woman named Quinette, who didn't want to share her last name, said her son, 24-year-old Arthur Wells, was the man seen in the video.

She said Wells is now being treated at a hospital in Delaware.

"Seeing my son with the bruises that he has on his face, on his arm, on his legs his back, my son is badly bruised," said Quinette.

She said Wells went to Wildwood this past weekend for a shore trip with friends. The next thing she knew, she got a frightening phone call.

"He said he was hurt, that the cops badly beat him. He could barely talk. I couldn't understand anything that he was really saying to me," said Quinette.

She said her son was arrested, but she doesn't know the charges.

"When they took him over to the prison, they refused to allow him to see a nurse: they didn't give my son treatment at all," Quinette said.

Now, it's unclear what led up to the events, but Quinette said there clearly were enough officers around that her son didn't need to be punched.

"You could see the cops just beating my son in his face; he wasn't resisting or anything," Quinette said.

Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron said he's not commenting on the incident at this time.

The prosecutor's office said it's investigating if the officer violated the department's use of force policy.

Authorities are also asking the public to contact them at 609-465-1135 if they have any videos or photos of the incident in question.