Owner Gets Robbed, Calls Cops And They Punch Him In The Face
The Bottom Line:
- An armed black business owner in Alabama called the cops after being robbed
- The cops showed up to the scene and punched the owner in the face
- The officers mistook the man for the robber
- The man suffered a broken jaw, knocked out teeth and got his mouth wired shut
- Source:AL.COM
The Full Story:
In Decatur, Alabama, an armed black business owner who called to report a robbery in his store, was punched in the face by a responding police officer who mistook him for a suspect.
Kevin Penn, the owner of Star Spirits & Beverages, suffered a broken jaw, his teeth were knocked out and he needed to get his mouth wired shut. The altercation actually happened back on March 15 but surveillance video of the interaction just started circulating on social media over the weekend. Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen held a news conference yesterday and admitted that Penn actually had the suspect lying on the ground at gunpoint waiting for officers to arrive.
Penn's lawyer,Carl Cole, said his client previously told police he was holding the suspect at gunpoint and had shown his gun to let them know he was armed. Penn had also removed the clip and ejected the bullets from the weapon. Body camera video shows responding officers coming into the store and an officer walks past the suspect and tells Penn to put down his weapon. Penn refuses saying, "I have a right to have my gun." He was arrested on a charge of obstructing a robbery investigation, according to court records. The name of the officer who punched Penn has not been released. He has been placed on desk duty while the department investigates the altercation.