Newly released body camera footage from the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) captures the intense moments when an officer subdued an armed suspect on Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky.
The incident occurred late Saturday night near Chill Bar and Akikos, located in the Highlands bar district.
According to an arrest citation, the situation unfolded when a bouncer from one of the nearby bars approached the patrolling officer.
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The bouncer reported that a man had become belligerent inside the bar and was being removed. The bouncer further informed the officer that the man was armed with a gun.
In the body camera footage, the officer can be heard asking the suspect, “Where’s the gun?” At this point, the video shows the suspect attempting to flee the scene. During the pursuit, the officer’s body camera is knocked off, landing on the ground.
A witness, noticing the body camera on the ground, picked it up and aimed it toward the ongoing struggle between the officer and the suspect, now taking place in the middle of Bardstown Road.
Despite the chaotic situation, the officer managed to use jiu-jitsu techniques to subdue the suspect until backup officers arrived.
The arrest documents indicate that officers found a handgun in the suspect’s front waistband following the altercation.
The suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with wanton endangerment, among other potential charges.
The Louisville Metro Police Department provided a statement through a YouTube video of the incident, explaining the context of the altercation: “An officer was on routine patrol in the bar district of the Highlands (near Akikos). A bouncer told the officer that the suspect was removed from a bar for being ‘belligerent.’ While outside, the suspect allegedly brandished a handgun and pointed it at someone. Subsequently, the officer and the suspect get into a brawl in the middle of Bardstown Road. The suspect has a handgun in his waistband during the fight. This is potentially a deadly force encounter.”
The incident highlights the dangers officers face while patrolling areas with high foot traffic, especially in nightlife districts where tensions can quickly escalate.
As investigations into the incident continue, the footage provides crucial evidence in understanding the sequence of events that led to the suspect’s arrest.
The suspect’s actions, combined with the presence of a firearm, created a potentially lethal situation, which the officer managed to deescalate without the use of deadly force.
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