Although in this case I don't think the force was overly excessive, considering the one girl was interfering with the officer, the use of a closed fist to the face is fairly high along the use of force continuum (although obviously below taser or lethal force etc.). I do however have a problem with all the posters who are saying that police brutality, especially along racial lines, doesn't exist. Here's an example from the same police force, just this year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-aCVrG-M_0
Although I believe that most police officers get into the profession for the right reasons it doesn't excuse them when they do use excessive force. Even if they are good officers they are still willing to protect the bad apples through the "Blue Wall of Silence". The only way that these officers ever get punished for their crimes is when they're caught on tape and even then its rarely results in criminal charges.
Heres another example of the same police force:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ToVl...eature=related