This story was last posted on: 6:53 a.m., Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said a use-of-force investigation has been launched over the arrest of Markeith Loyd, just as newly released video of the arrest appears to show officers kicking him as he lay face-down on the ground.

The police department posted a link to the video on its website Thursday afternoon and shared the link on social media.

Mina held a news conference shortly after the video was released at police headquarters. The video is from the spotter helicopter that was up in the air during Tuesday evening's arrest at an abandoned home in the Carver Shores neighborhood, just blocks away from the mother of slain Lt. Debra Clayton.

The chopper video is the only video of his arrest -- no officers were wearing body cameras, Mina said.

He said Loyd first tried to run from the home but then ran back inside when he could see the house was surrounded by law enforcement officers. The video then shows Loyd get down onto his stomach and then crawl from the home toward the officers on the street. Once Loyd reaches the officers at the street, it appears that one officer kicks him in the face.

That's when the chopper's camera pans away for a few seconds, then pans back over at a more zoomed-out view.

"When I first saw the camera pan away, that was concerning to me. But remember, the spotter of that helicopter, who is an OPD officer, also has a responsibility of maintaining control of what's inside the house," Mina said. "As you saw later in the video, a team of armed officers went into the house to clear it, so we don't know that his accomplices that have been helping him are inside the house."

Mina said the use-of-force investigation will determine whether there were any policies violated, especially with the kick. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said Wednesday that the agency would not be investigating use of force.

"I'm not going to give you my opinion before the investigation into use-of-force is complete," Mina said. "The officers are judged by the totality of the circumstances... proximity of weapons. You saw how dark it was. This person has an extremely violent history."

As a bloodied-and-bruised Loyd was being led by officers after his arrest Tuesday night, he yelled out that he was beaten. A new arrest mug released by the Orange County Jail on Thursday shows Loyd with a bandage still covering his left eye, cuts across his nose and a swollen upper lip.


Updated mugshot of accused killer Markeith Loyd. (Orange County Jail)

Mina confirmed that Loyd has a fracture of the orbital bone above his left eye.

Attorney Beryl Thompson-McClary said getting this portion of the investigation right is paramount.

"Permanent injury brings on a different facet as it relates to excessive use of force by police officers," said Thompson-McClary, who specializes in civil and criminal litigation. "At that point if that is the case, certainly there should be an investigation [into excessive force]."

However, Thompson-McClary said the use of force itself should not affect Loyd's criminal cases.

"The excessive force is not a defense. An excessive force will not mitigate his sentence or mitigate his circumstances to justify anything he's done or not done," said Thompson-McClary. 

Mina also gave an account of the shooting of Clayton, saying that surveillance video from the Wal-Mart where she was slain shows Loyd standing over her body and shooting her while she was on the ground. He said the medical examiner determined that the close-proximity shots are what killed her, and that the surveillance video will not be released.

"We're talking about a cold-blooded, ruthless killer," Mina said.

Mina said a full list of charges against Loyd would be released by the end of the week.

Loyd, 41, was captured Tuesday night in Orlando, ending a nine-day manhunt. He is accused in the shooting death of Clayton, as well as the December slaying of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon. On the morning of Jan. 9, Clayton was confronting Loyd, who was at the time wanted in connection to Dixon's death, when she was fatally shot.

Loyd currently faces several charges in Dixon's death, including first-degree murder with a firearm and the unlawful killing of an unborn child. Loyd appeared before a judge Thursday morning and refused an offer for a public defender. "I'm going to defend myself," he told the judge.

On Thursday evening, additional charges were filed against Loyd for the death of Clayton: First-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm of a law enforcement officer, carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and wearing a bulletproof vest.

Loyd is expected to make another court appearance on Friday for the new charges.