While I don't think anyone should be beat up by cops, what I see in that video is a pretty common manuever used to get people off the ground. I've used it and been the recipient of it. The fingers are hooked just under the jaw, about right below the ear. It HURTS and whether you like it or not, you're moving. But, I can attest that aside from some temporary soreness, there's no lasting damage. It's a viable non-lethal control method. Now there's the question of why do this when you can just drag them away on their asses, that I don't know, I wasn't there. I think it's safe to suggest that maybe these officers were a little "trigger-happy" to try out a control method on a subject but it's also very true that some people just don't listen when you ask nicely and they need physical motivation, in which case those officers did a hell off a better job using that technique than other things they could do, like hitting them.