University of North Texas police came under fire when an arrest video went viral

Police say college student in viral arrest video was FAKING 'seizure' he had in the back of a squad car after he yelled ‘stop choking me’

• University of North Texas police came under fire when an arrest video went viral
• Peyton Long, 18, claimed to have been choked by officers before having a fit
• Police say the clip was a 'misrepresentation' and released footage inside the car 
• Officers say Long was faking the seizure, having dealt with hundreds before 

A viral video of a college student appearing to suffer a seizure in the back of a squad car sparked outrage on social media this week - but police insist there's more to the video than meets the eye.

The University of North Texas police were called Union Circle in Denton on Tuesday to reports of theft from the campus library.

Apprehending the alleged thief, Peyton Long, 19, officers of the department were subjected to widespread criticism when a video of the arrest, showing Long 'seizing' in the back of a car after shouting 'Stop choking me', went viral.

However, UNT police say the video 'misrepresents the professional actions' of their officers, who were actually trying to restrain Long to prevent him from harming himself.

In a 39-minute video of the arrest released by the department on Thursday, Long can be seen thrashing his head on a metal cage in the car, after being told he would be transported to jail.

An officer warns the university student to stop.

Ignoring the demand, an officer the grabs Long by the neck and tells him to 'stop it' three more times.

After the sophomore student asks 'why do you keep choking me?' he appears to attempt to bite the arresting officer.

The policeman then leans into the car, still restraining him by the neck. Long then appears to pass-out and begins to shake violently.

Believing the display to be an act, the officers tell Long to 'sit up'.

The alleged seizure continues for 30 seconds, before the suspected thief comes around and starts interacting with officers again.

But UNT police say the seizure was nothing more than a performance.

'A bystander posted cellphone video to Twitter that misrepresents the professional actions our officers took to prevent the suspect from seriously harming himself,' UNT Police Chief Ed Reynolds said in a statement on Thursday.