A video has emerged of officers appearing to punch a man on the ground while arresting him after a row broke out at IHOP over bacon running out.

Cops in Marietta, Georgia, allegedly used excessive force during the arrest of suspect Renardo Nehemiah Lewis during an argument with staff.

Officers were called to the restaurant and said Lewis' wife was demanding employees' names and phone numbers because she was angry there was no bacon available, police said.

Marietta Police said the force responded to a call of a man making threats and 'gesturing like he had a gun' at the restaurant, police said.

While questioning Lewis and his wife, three officers then began restraining him and a scuffle broke out.

Renardo Lewis' wife (left) tried to intervene as a group of officers arrested her husband at an IHOP in Marietta, Georgia

The 39-year-old was wrestled to the floor as more officers joined the melee as he tells them, 'I'm not resisting'.

A clip of the altercation was posted on Facebook and Instagram and showed one officer grabbing Lewis who says, 'please don't grab me, sir'.

The officer then asked Lewis to sit down and he refuses by saying, 'I don't want to sit down' and the cop pushed Lewis against the wall and tried to put his hands in cuffs.

As the grappling began to break out, a woman who was remonstrating with officers at the same time, turned and repeatedly told Lewis to 'let them do what they are gonna do'.

Lewis then broke free and the officers again tried to restrain him as his wife attempted to intervene and was pushed back by a cop.

The video began with Lewis calmly talking to officers (right) but three cops soon began restraining and pushed him into a window

While he was struggling with police on the floor, Lewis could be heard saying, 'I can't breathe'.

His wife added: 'They're gonna shoot him for eating pancakes at the IHOP.'

Renardo Lewis was charged with public drunkenness, misdemeanor obstruction, felony obstruction and aggravated assault on an officer

Police claim Lewis started the struggle when he 'struck several officers with fist and foot', and continued to resist their attempts to restrain him, an incident report states.

One officer told a bystander he punched Lewis 'because he kept resisting. He kept trying to grab my gun'.

Marietta Police spokesman Chuck McPhilamy said the officer seen in the clip described the blows landed on Lewis as 'short-strike punches', that did not break the force's guidelines, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

A police statement posted on Facebook said: 'The video is (unintentionally) missing the beginning of the incident. We want the public to know that like any use of force incident, we will fully investigate the physical actions shown on the video.

'While the video may seem shocking to some, we are very proud that all officers used only the force necessary to place Mr. Lewis in handcuffs.

After pushing Lewis against a wall, he was dragged to the floor by a group of officers and dealt a series of 'short strike punches'

'It is important to note officers were responding to a call that a man was disrupting a business, had made threats and motioned like he had a handgun.

'The moment the officer attempted to detain the suspect in handcuffs, the entire situation changed and became a wrestling match.'

Lewis was taken to hospital and charged with public drunkenness, misdemeanor obstruction, felony obstruction and aggravated assault on an officer.

Marietta Police said CCTV camera from the restaurant will be reviewed to see if Lewis made threats and if officers broke department policy in their use of force.

A formal complaint has been made, according to Marietta Police.