D.C. police say they鈥檙e investigating a Tuesday incident in Anacostia that led to four arrests.
The incident was recorded by witnesses on their phones and the video is now circulating online, though it doesn鈥檛 show the entire confrontation from start to finish.
. violently attacking and arresting folks for taping their unconstitutional policing yesterday on Green St. SE
鈥� BlackLivesMatter DC (@DMVBlackLives)
The video begins with things already having gotten heated between a police officer and a man holding a cell phone close to the officer鈥檚 face.
The officer is seen hitting the phone out of the man鈥檚 hand, and a moment later shoving him back with both hands. Other video from the incident also shows people getting arrested as police try to push people back.
View this post on Instagram
鈥淭he issue that we have is officer safety,鈥� said Stephen Bigelow, the head of the D.C. Police Union, speakig to 草莓传媒’s news partner
鈥淵ou have the right to record officers. You have the right to say whatever you want to say. But there鈥檚 a line that you cross when you walk within an inch of the officer鈥檚 face and put your finger in his face and walk behind officers that are armed and come within an inch of them while they鈥檙e doing an investigation.鈥�
View this post on Instagram
Police affidavits from the incident obtained by NBC Washington and say the man 鈥渢ook an aggressive fighting stance, balled his fists and advanced toward鈥� the officer in question.
It also says the officer 鈥渆xtended his arms in the direction鈥� of that man to create space before arresting him.
The video that鈥檚 been circulating online doesn鈥檛 entirely match up with the claims made in the affidavit, but it also doesn鈥檛 show the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.
D.C. police tell The Washington Post they鈥檙e looking at both the video that鈥檚 on social media as well as body cam footage collected by numerous cops who responded to try to get the whole picture.
The investigation is ongoing.
