A video has gone viral of an armed off-duty cop in a heated altercation with another man. The policeman was caught on camera striking the civilian in the face with his firearm, but, according to a news report, that is not how the dispute began.
The initial altercation unfolded at an event in the Track Gate community of Lawrence Tavern, St Andrew. The report says that sometime between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Sunday, the policeman was speaking with a woman who attended the party when a group of men confronted him. It was at that point that the men allegedly attacked him.
Footage shows the policeman, dressed in a blue shirt and white jeans, fighting multiple men. Onlookers attempted to break up the brawl, but the fight continued. According to the Jamaica Observer, the fight only ended when the cop brandished his licensed firearm. The group quickly fled the scene, but one of them reportedly fell on the ground while attempting to run away.
The Jamaica Observer, citing reports, said that the policeman subsequently detained the man. In the viral footage, the policeman was captured with one of the men involved in the initial altercation.
The man is lying on the ground, and the officer, with a gun out, speaks to him. At one point, he asks the man if he is afraid of him and his gun and then proceeds to hit him in the face with the weapon.
Onlookers briefly manage to separate the two men, but when the civilian stands up, the dispute continues. The clip ends when bystanders manage to de-escalate the situation and get the men to part ways. The media reported that the cop and the civilian spoke to investigators about the incident.
While detectives took statements from the cop and the man, the civilian reportedly chose not to pursue the matter further. However, as part of standard procedure, the cop’s licensed firearm has been seized while the investigation continues.
