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DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) - The Decatur Police Department has released information regarding a video that has gone viral on social media involving a citizen and a Decatur Police officer.
According to officials, the incident between 29-year-old Marquez Lewis and an uniformed, off-duty officer, who was working a security detail at Walmart, happened on Friday. Officials say Lewis had an active arrest warrant through the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office for failure to pay child support.
Lewis was sitting in the driver’s seat of a car and was told he had a warrant, the officer told him to get out of the car but he refused, authorities say. After Lewis continued to refuse after “repeated attempts” the officer broke the window to arrest him.
Officials say Lewis actively resisted arrest and fought with the officer. They also say during the initial encounter and before the start of the video, the officer suffered a fractured orbital bone (black eye) after he was allegedly punched by Lewis.
Lewis’ mother recorded the encounter in close proximity to the altercation, the officer told her to back up. After that the officer pushed her back and knocked the cell phone out of her hand. A second officer arrived and Lewis was arrested.