HollyMatkinDes Moines, WA – An off-duty police officer was attacked by a group of thugs at a boat launch on Saturday, after the officer asked them to move their vehicles so he could get his boat out of the water (video below).
One of the assailants pulled a gun during the altercation, a witness said during a cell phone video of the incident.
The encounter unfolded at approximately 5 p.m. on June 16 at Redondo Beach, KING reported.
The group refused the off-duty officer’s request that they move their vehicles, but the officer was able to retrieve his boat from the water anyway.
He then headed towards the parking lot, where he and his wife were confronted by a group of teens and young adults, cell phone footage showed.
“Did you touch him, n – – – a?” a barefoot man in a blue sweatshirt screamed as he stormed towards the officer.
“Yeah, I did,” the officer responded. “He got in my face!”
“He’s 16!” a female interjected. “You’re a grown a – – man! Are you stupid?”
“I’m in your face right now,” the arrogant woman challenged. “What are you gonna do?”
Suddenly, the man wearing the blue sweatshirt circled to the officer’s right side and punched him in the head.
The officer attempted to fend off the group, who quickly surrounded him and pushed him onto the hood of a nearby vehicle.
One of the attackers managed to knock the officer to the ground.
Police said that another member of the group left and returned to the fight with a gun, which he pointed at the officer, KIRO reported.
The group then broke up and fled the scene.
In the video, a woman said that one of the individuals had kicked her phone out of her hand as she was recording the incident.
“He pulled a gun on him,” the woman commented to a male witness who came to check on her.
“I saw that,” the man replied.
The off-duty officer, who is an officer from another jurisdiction, sustained minor injuries, KOMO reported.
On Tuesday, Des Moines Police Chief Ken Thomas said that local detectives had identified and arrested three individuals in connection with the assault, according to a City of Des Moines Facebook post.
An 18-year-old male was being held for investigation of second-degree assault involving a firearm, and a second 18-year-old male was charged for fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief.
A 16-year-old male had also been arrested on a fourth-degree assault charge, Chief Thomas said.
You can see the video of the incident below: