Video shows 6 Alabama police officers holding down white suspect, 1 punching him
By Erin Edgemon | eedgemon@al.com
Wetumpka, AL
A cell phone video shared on Facebook shows at least six Wetumpka police officers holding down a suspect and one apparently punching him.
Wetumpka Police Chief Danny Billingsley is now defending the actions of his officers.
"I think we're perfectly above-board," he said in an interview with Montgomery Advertiser. "Of course, we're going to look into and make sure, but I think we're in good shape."
Steven Tucker, of Montgomery, captured the video from Wind Creek Casino.
Billingsley told the Advertiser that officers pulled over Roger Deffenbaugh, 52, of Oxford, on U.S. Highway early Sunday morning. Officers said there were marijuana and a liquor bottle in the man's vehicle.
"We asked him to step out of his car, but he refused to get out of the car and took off," he said. "We got in pursuit and ran him all over 231 through a subdivision and wound up at the rear of the casino, where he rammed his car into a door out there and at that time, he was taken into custody."
Billingsley said Deffenbaugh tried to run over one of the officers and resisted on the ground when officers tried to handcuff him.
The police chief didn't address the segment of video that shows what looks like an officer punching the suspect.
Deffenbaugh was arrested and charged with attempting to elude police, second-degree assault, second-degree possession of marijuana, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of prescription drugs.
AL.com left a message for Wetumpka Police Chief Danny Billingsley seeking comment on the video.