DECATUR, Ala. — Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion has responded to a video that has gained traction on social media depicting a volatile arrest situation that took place over the weekend. The department's statement explaining their version of events follows comments made during Monday's city council agenda work session, in which the video was discussed by a citizen.
The comments came among a swath of continued criticism toward the city and the police department for its actions surrounding the shooting death of Steve Perkins in September.
"...And with the video I saw two days ago, of a Black man being assaulted by the Decatur Police Department... it's callous, it's low," the citizen tells the council.
Editor's note: While FOX54 has seen the video in question, we are working to obtain permission from its original poster, and at this time will only be describing it. FOX54 has also made the editorial decision to redact the arrested subjects' names from Decatur PD's statement at this time.
The three-and-a-half minute video, posted December 8, begins as a man and the arresting officer are in the middle of a struggle in a Walmart parking lot. Punches and kicks are thrown on both sides, and at several points the man tries to run from the officer. Women filming the incident on their phones, and the man, ask multiple times, 'What are the charges? What is he being arrested for?' Responses are hard to decipher.
Later in the video, a woman identifying herself as the man's mother is seen approaching the men as they wrestle each other, phone raised in hand. The officer says, "Get out of my face," and is seen swiping at the phone, which clatters to the ground, and pushing the woman aside. "Now you're pushing the mama," one of the women is heard to shout.
The men continue to push against one another, with the officer pushing the man into a vehicle while trying to place the man into handcuffs. Shortly afterward, an unidentified woman comes into frame to speak directly to the man. After another few moments, a second police officer comes into view, and the man relents and is taken into custody by the second officer and led away.
After the video was discussed at the council meeting, Decatur PD released the following statement (suspect names currently redacted):
There is a video posted to social media taken by a person with a cell phone that depicts a portion of a Decatur police officer’s attempt to arrest a man with an active arrest warrant in the Walmart parking lot.
The incident took place on December 8 at about 4pm when a uniformed, off-duty Decatur police officer working a security detail at the store saw [the suspect] in the parking lot. [He] had an active arrest warrant through the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office for failure to pay child support.
By this time, [He] was seated in the driver’s seat of a car and despite being told he had a warrant and to get out of the car, he refused. After repeated attempts to get [him] to voluntarily comply, the officer broke the window to arrest [him]. [He] actively resisted arrest and fought with the officer. During the initial encounter, and prior to the beginning of the video that has been circulating online, the officer suffered a fractured orbital bone after he was punched by [the suspect].
[The man’s] mother followed the officer while holding up a cell phone and while moving within feet of him as he struggled to take [him] into custody. After ordering her to back up, the officer pushed her back and knocked the cell phone out of her hand. [He] was arrested after a second officer arrived.
Chief Todd Pinion said, “An arrest warrant is a command by a judge for an officer to arrest someone. A person who is told by a police officer they are under arrest has an obligation under the law to submit to the arrest. While we will look at all aspects of the arrest to determine if the officer followed policy and training, what is clear is that a person’s refusal to submit to a lawful arrest resulted in more severe criminal charges and an officer being injured. If you believe an arrest by an officer is not valid, submit to the arrest and take legal action after. Resisting arrest creates a great danger to everyone involved and is illegal. And while anyone can record a police officer in public, they cannot do it in a way that interferes with the officer or jeopardizes their safety.”
[The man] was charged with Assault 2nd Degree, Resisting Arrest, Attempting to Flee and Elude and Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree. [He] was booked at the Morgan County Jail on a $15,900 bond.
[The mother] was arrested and charged with Obstruction of Governmental Operations. She was booked at the Morgan County Jail on a $300 bond.
The injured officer is currently on paid leave while he recuperates.
“The above defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
While checking booking assignments with the Morgan County Jail, FOX54 learned the male suspect remains in jail as of Monday night, but the jail's website shows a bond amount of more than $31,000. Court records still show $15,000.
The man's mother appears to have been released.
