Bodycam footage released by police in Decatur, Ala., shows an officer striking a man in the face after the man apparently called 911 to report that his store had been robbed.
The video obtained by NBC affiliate WAFF shows officers enter the store with their guns drawn before briefly arguing with the man, apparently the store’s owner, about his own weapon, which the man can be heard saying is nearby.
Seconds later, the man is seen on video holding his hand over something on the store’s counter before an officer moves forward and strikes him with his fist. Police released the video Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident, which took place in March.
Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen said during a press conference on Monday that his officers reacted to seeing a gun in the store owner’s hand. The gun cannot be clearly seen on the video due to quality issues.
Kevin Penn, the store owner, was charged with obstruction of government operations, WAFF reported, and is planning to sue the department. He also suffered a broken jaw in the incident.
“That’s what caused the immediate charge of the officer,” Allen said, according to NBC News and AL.com, adding, “I’d much rather have a punch than an officer-involved shooting.
“We wanted to show that because one thing I strive to do is build relationships with this community,” the chief added. “We need to be very transparent; we need to be very open. But most of all, we need our citizens to respect the police department and we need the police department to respect the citizens.”
A suspect was later apprehended for shoplifting from the store, according to police.
Video of the confrontation comes as protests against police brutality and racism have cropped up in cities around the country following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody. Footage of Floyd’s arrest showed a white officer kneeling on his neck for several minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe.
–Updated at 11:15 a.m.