Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- Israeli authorities said Thursday that they have suspended a police officer who is accused of beating the U.S. teenager Tariq Abu Khdeir in Jerusalem last week . Amateur video emerged last week showing Israeli police officers holding down and punching 15-year-old Khdeir , a high school sophomore from Florida . The shocking footage prompted outrage from his family and calls by the U.S. government for a full and transparent investigation . Khdeir says he was arrested and accosted while watching violent protests in the Shuafat neighborhood last week over the kidnapping and killing of his cousin , the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khedair . The young man 's killing came after three abducted Israeli teenagers were found dead in a field in the West Bank , sparking an upsurge in tensions in the region . Israeli authorities say Khdeir was among a group of youths who attacked police during the riots . He is currently under house arrest at a relative 's home after being released on bail by a court . The Israeli Department for the Investigation of Police ( DIP ) said Thursday that after an investigation into the incident , it had found evidence to suspect one of the officers of committing `` serious violent offenses '' while Khdeir was handcuffed . The department 's director is considering criminal charges against the officer , who is in a special undercover unit , and he has been summoned for a hearing , the agency said in a statement . The officer 's suspension is for 15 days . But the DIP also said Khdeir was identified by police as wearing a mask , carrying a slingshot and taking an active part in the unrest in Shuafat . Khdeir and his family have denied he did anything wrong . `` I was attacked by police . I woke up in the hospital , '' he said as he walked out of court in Jerusalem on Sunday , sporting two black eyes and a swollen lip . `` I just saw somebody running at me , so I tried to run away , '' he told reporters . Khdeir said he did n't know why he was attacked . His mother has said the family intends to sue Israeli authorities over the matter . CNN 's Tal Heinrich reported from Jerusalem , and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong .
NEW : An Israeli police officer is suspected of committing `` serious violent offenses '' Authorities carried out an investigation into the beating of a U.S. teen caught on video . High school student Tariq Abu Khdeir says he was attacked amid protests in Jerusalem . Israeli authorities say he was identified by police as participating in the unrest .