[kellyhound]

The video was shot by a witness who claims the officer struck first. But the Orlando Police Department strongly disputes that and has provided photos of the beaten officer to prove its case.

According to police, the officer was attempting to make an arrest at Parramore Avenue and Ossie Street on Wednesday night.

The cellphone video shows Officer James Wilson on top of Terre Johnson, both men bleeding and exhausted from a fight that started several minutes earlier.

The video shows the officer holding Johnson's hair and punching him, but seconds later, Johnson is swinging at the officer.

"Terre asked him, 'Get out of my face, please,' and (the officer) is like, 'Whoa! What are you going to do about it? What are you doing to do about it?' all up in his face," witness Andrew Ensminger said.

Ensminger said that despite the arrest affidavit, which says "Johnson began battering officer Wilson," the fight was started by the officer, who first displayed his Taser, but chose not to use it.

"Then he pulled out the Taser and pointed it at him like he was going to taze him and put it back in," Ensminger said. "That's when (Wilson) grabbed (Johnson) and slammed him to the ground and started hitting him."

"The officer pulled out the Taser to Taser the man and (Johnson) said, 'Go ahead, I want you to taze me,'" witness Austin Mells said.

Mells repeated what other witnesses said: that the officer put his Taser back into its holster and when Johnson turned to walk away, he was tackled by the officer.

"And when he grabbed the man, they fell to the ground. And when they fell to the ground, the officer got on top of the man, so Terre hit the officer. Then the officer grabbed him by the hair and started hitting him like this," Mells said, demonstrating.

Orlando police released photos of the officer, showing his black eye, swollen lip and bloody knee. They also released a witness statement from Jason Hernandez, a Coalition for the Homeless resident, that read:

"I heard him say that he loved to beat up cops and has a record. And I seen him hit the cop first and continue to hit the cop."

Johnson was convicted last year of battery on a law enforcement officer, and was charged in June with punching someone outside the downtown library.

Johnson faces a trial in his latest fight with an officer.

Johnson remains behind bars on a $10,000 bond.

[TheFallOfTroyML]

oh a black "hood" ?

i BET the black guy "didnt do nuthing"


i wish they would stop hiding behind racism

[spudigitti]

I'd have shot him......

[Shakey]

Shitty phone.

[Deucee002]

Can you imagine having to police that place, couldn't pay me enough. Fucking Zoo

[Susan]

They say the police harass them and beat them constantly, yet I've never seen one look scared of the cops yet, they go out of their way to fight with them etc then scream racism when they get it back or get tasered or whatever. Black lives matter. So does every life. Including that of the police. Give respect, get respect.

[mothmon]

He probably utterly and completely deserved that beating.

[easyseal]

Fukin *******