(CNN) -- Birmingham, Alabama -- a city with a long history of racial strife -- has been shaken by the release this week of a video recording showing a group of white police officers hitting an African-American man accused of attempting to steal a car. Travarious Daniel, 29, was arrested outside a nightclub in downtown Birmingham shortly after 1 a.m. on March 20. Video of the arrest shows Daniel, his hands raised in the air, briefly staggering down a sidewalk before being tackled and struck multiple times in the back of the head. A photo published by the Birmingham News shows Daniel with a bandage over a swollen eye after his arrest.
@highlight
Travarious Daniel, 29, was arrested on March 20 for allegedly breaking into a car
@highlight
Daniel was struck repeatedly in the course of the arrest
@highlight
Daniel is black; the officers involved in the arrest are white
@highlight
The incident occurred in Birmingham, Alabama -- a city with a history of racial strife
Salvagio said @placeholder intends to file a lawsuit against the police department.