Gov. Cooper responds to WRAL story featuring intense Highway Patrol chase, controversial arrest

On Monday, WRAL Investigates showed you a controversial North Carolina State Highway patrol stop and arrest.

We sent our story to Gov. Roy Cooper and he's responded.

The governor oversees the Department of Public Safety, which oversees Highway Patrol. We asked Governor Cooper to respond to dash cam video we obtained through a court order.

As WRAL Investigates first reported on Monday, troopers took down the driver with a strike from a flashlight, along with some knee kicks and punches.

This happened on Oct. 4 following a high speed chase from along US 264 from Wilson County into Wake County. The driver rammed a patrol car at one point and sped off again before a trooper eventually forced him off the road.

Robert Ethridge showed his hands before he was taken down. Despite the rough arrest, he showed no visible signs of bruising or bleeding.

After our story, here's the response from the governor's office.

“The Governor expects state law enforcement agencies to review use of force incidents, adhere to appropriate use of force policies including using de-escalation techniques when reasonably possible, and take appropriate personnel actions where necessary.”

To this point, the Highway Patrol won't comment on whether the troopers involved faced discipline or retraining.