FBI officials are now investigating the recent police beating that left one Kern County suspect dead last week. His crime? Sleeping on someone's front lawn.

Police were called to the scene when David Silva, 33, was found lying asleep outside a residence across the street from the medical center he had just left. Silva had gone there to receive help for an undisclosed emotional problem but was told he could not sleep there.

"The guy was lying on the floor and eight sheriffs ran up and started beating him up with sticks," one woman said in a 911 call "The man is dead, laying right here, right now. I got it all on video camera and I'm sending it to the news. These cops have no reason to do this to this man."

Several witnesses have now come forward to claim that they saw the vicious beating and had recorded it on their phones, which were eventually confiscated by the police. Those phones are now being sent to the FBI amid suspicion that the footage has been erased.

"I have seen the video. I cannot speculate whether they acted appropriately or not just by looking at the video." said Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, continuing, "Baton strikes were used but what I don't know is how many and where they were on the body and if they caused significant injury that caused death."

While Youngblood appears willing to cooperate with the investigation, he has also been quick to defend his deputies. Ultimately, however, it is no longer his decision, as the FBI has started a full investigation after widespread media exposure.

"Sometimes in the heat of battle, the baton doesn't go where you want it to go.... If someone has 20 baton strikes to the head, OK, that is easy for us. But when there is a fight or scuffle and a baton strike goes where it should not ... then you have to evaluate," Youngblood explained.

For those who witnessed the altercation, however, there is little to be discussed. Witnesses allege that the police officers were savage in the beating of Silva, showing no remorse despite the man's repeated cries for help.

"He was screaming for help. He was laying on his chest," said Silva's girlfriend, Sulina Quair.  "The cops were still on top of him, still hitting him. My family and I screamed at them to stop hitting him.... The blood was all over Mr. Silva's face. We couldn't even tell if he had eyes or a mouth."