Leo Gillick
An interaction between a Virginia police officer and a man in a parking lot went viral.
Videos by Rare
What happened: A video released on YouTube showed a citizen questioning an officer, in uniform, in a patrol car, in a parking lot of a business. The citizen wanted to know what he was doing there. The officer responded, “They have us doing an overtime assignment. You need anything?”
But the citizen kept questioning why the police officer was at the parking lot. The situation quickly turned nasty when the officer got out of his patrol car. The officer then arrested the citizen.
Backing The Blue
Police Chief Speaks Out: The video quickly went viral with several questioning the cause for the arrest. One commented, “From zero to tyrant in less than 20 seconds, a new blue line record.” Another wrote, “Arrested for asking questions? Cops truly are sovereign citizens. A state unto themselves.”
The police chief was pressed to release a statement about the conduct of his officer in what should have been a peaceful situation. But Prince George County Police Chief Keith Early has sided with the officer, according to 6 News Richmond.
Always Innocent: The police chief shared his thoughts on the encounter.
- “As we should expect, the video does not contain all the facts surrounding the incident in question. I want to start by stating that I support this officer’s actions,” his statement read. “In my view, this officer’s actions were lawful. This officer is a good officer, a good person, and he serves the community of Prince George very well. I, along with our entire Tea,m appreciate him.”
However, the public isn’t convinced. Additionally, the man arrested for questioning the officer shared his own side of things.
- “The video in question is a good example of how law enforcement officers think their power is supposed to be used,” he said in an email. “The video does show how officers can not take pressure and feel they shouldn’t be questioned. The video the chief posted shows that they will cover up ‘back the blue’ a situation even when their officers do wrong.”
- “My video shows my wife coming out and telling them I was going to have lunch with her (that was my business there), but no, i still get a trespass,” he wrote. “If the workers weren’t going on lunch and I was just wandering around the parking lot, then yes, a trespass would be appropriate, but that was not the case.”
