Man Stops To Film Police Encounter, Gets Punched By Cop In Kentucky

A Kentucky man was slugged by police as he filmed the scene of an arrest.

Joe Bennett of Jeffersontown was on his way home from work last week when he saw police cars surround a vehicle.

Bennett decided to record the incident — from his car at about 50 feet away.

The Facebook livestream which was also linked to on Twitter shows the arrest in the distance.

Bennett can be heard on his Facebook livestream saying he was, “Doing his due diligence as a citizen” by documenting the arrest.

Three minutes later, cops realize they were being filmed.

Two officers approach Bennett, with one of them asking to see his ID.

Bennett refused and asked the officer why to which he replied: “You’re filming a crime scene investigation… and you’re involved.”

After Bennett refused to produce ID for the second time, the officer grabs for his phone and hits Bennett. The livestream ended shortly after.

In a phone conversation with Lt. Col. Steve Schmidt of the Jeffersontown Police Department, he said his officers were in the area investigating and making arrests related to a check fraud scheme thwarted at the Citizens Union Bank across the street from the McDonalds.

One of the detained suspects pointed Bennett out — while he leaned against his Jeep and filmed from across the parking lot — as the driver involved in the alleged crime, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said Bennett is not a suspect in the alleged check fraud scheme.

Bennett was issued a citation for menacing and resisting arrest which described the hit as an “Empty strike” – a claim Bennett refutes, saying he was hit with a “solid left hook” and had to be checked out by EMTs on the scene and a doctor a day later.

Bennett is looking to lawyer up.