Kentucky man livestreaming arrest is slugged by cop with ‘solid left hook’ and booked for menacing for resisting arrest
A MAN who was livestreaming an arrest from afar claims he was slugged by a cop with a “solid left hook” and booked for resisting arrest. Joe Bennett happened upon the arrest scene on Tuesday on his way home from work in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, when he decided to stop and film the incident. Bennett was […]
A MAN who was livestreaming an arrest from afar claims he was slugged by a cop with a “solid left hook” and booked for resisting arrest.
Joe Bennett happened upon the arrest scene on Tuesday on his way home from work in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, when he decided to stop and film the incident.
Bennett was livesteaming the arrest to Facebook from across a parking lot. Not much can be seen until two of the cops appear to realize they are being filmed and approach Bennett.
“I just wanted to observe, so I tried to give them distance,” Bennett told Spectrum1.
In the video, one of the approaching officers asks to see Bennet’s ID, which he refuses. He then asks the officers why they want his identification.
“You’re filming a crime scene investigation … and you’re involved,” the officer says.
After Bennett again refuses, one of the officers attempts to grab the phone and it appears that Bennett is pushed onto the ground. The video cuts out shortly after that.
In a citation given to Bennett, police described the contact as an “empty strike,” but he insists it was a “solid left hook.”
Bennett also claims he had to be looked at by an EMT after the hit at the scene, and visited a doctor for an X-ray the next day.
Jeffersontown Police Lt Col Steve Schmidt told Spectrum1 that the officers were in the area making arrests related to a check fraud scheme at the Citizens Union Bank, across the street from the McDonalds seen in Bennett’s video.
Police claim that Bennett was approached because one of the detained suspects pointed him out as the driver involved in the alleged crime.
However, Bennett maintains that even if police believed he was involved in any way, he was not approached properly.
“[Doing] proper police work, they should have approached me gently,” he said.
“I wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t in my vehicle. I was going to flee.
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“They certainly shouldn’t have hit me first and asked questions later.”
Bennett told the station he wants his charges dropped “at a minimum” and is considering other legal options.
Police have reportedly been trying to contact him, but he said he would like to obtain a lawyer before speaking to any officers.