Three Dover police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave as authorities investigate a violent arrest video that shows a 19-year-old man being punched repeatedly in the face as he was taken into custody early Sunday, officials said.

At a brief news conference Monday afternoon outside Dover police headquarters, Mayor James Dodd characterized a video which shows a portion of the beating as “very disturbing,” but urged people to wait until all the facts have come out.

Cyprian Luke after he appeared before Morris County Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown , N.J., Monday, May, 20, 2019Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The video shows Cyprian Luke, 19, of Morristown being punched by police, taken to the ground, pepper-sprayed and choked. Police charged Luke with assault and criminal mischief and he remains in the Morris County jail.

Luke was brought in handcuffs into a fourth-floor courtroom in Morristown shortly after 2 p.m. Monday. His attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, and Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor scheduled a hearing for Thursday on the prosecutor’s bid to keep him in custody pending trial.

Outside of court, his mother said his right eye appeared injured from the incident.

“I’m thankful he’s alive, and we’ll just have to wait,” said his mother, Mary Luke.

Dover Mayor James Dodd speaks during a a press conference outside the police station regarding the Cyprian Luke arrest in Dover, N.J., Monday, May, 20, 2019Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for

Ninety minutes earlier, in Dover, Dodd and and Dover Public Safety Director Daniel DeGroot provided some details on the incident.

DeGroot did not name the three officers on leave, but said they are two patrol officers and a sergeant.

At least one of the officers was injured while subduing Luke, though DeGroot said at the press conference he didn’t know the extent of the injuries. None of the police officers were named.

Family and friends of Cyprian Luke when he appeared before Morris County Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown , N.J., Monday, May, 20, 2019Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is handling the investigation under the supervision of the state office of the Attorney General, and Dodd said he is waiting on the outcome.

“Mr. Luke resisted police efforts to take him into custody," Dodd said. “There is no reason for me to believe at this time that race played any role. I understand that we live in an age of social media where there is a tendency to rush to judgment. If the officers behaved inappropriately, swift action will be taken.”

Family members said Luke had a warrant out for his arrest when police approached him near a Krauszer’s food store around 2 a.m. on Saturday. They said police didn’t mention the warrant before putting their hands on him, adding that Luke and a friend who recorded the video were in Dover to get tattoos.

DeGroot declined to comment on whether something took place that isn’t seen in the video that triggered the officers’ response. He addressed in general terms how officers are trained, however.

Cyprian Luke when he appeared before Morris County Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown , N.J., Monday, May, 20, 2019Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“If a person is resisting, officers tell them to stop until they put the person in handcuffs," DeGroot said.

In court on Monday, Luke spoke briefly in response to questions from Taylor. The widely-reported circumstances of his arrest were not discussed.

Luke will return to court at 9 a.m. Thursday for his detention hearing.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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