OfficerBlueTupelo, MS – A video is going viral which shows a man attacking a police officer for not allowing him into the Tupelo Mall (video below.)
The incident happened Friday night when officers responded to a request for help from mall security about a large group of juveniles, according to WTVA.
The mall was closed, so the officer assisted security in removing the teens from the mall. One of the people removed was Drew Smith, 18, and rather than leave, Smith squared up to the officer and got in his face.
When the officer pushed him back, Smith assaulted the police officer.
The officer moved to take Smith into custody with the help of a security guard, and Smith fought back.
The nearby teens tried to get involved as more security guards arrived to help keep the teens back. They then started flooding into the closed mall.
Smith was finally arrested and charged with three counts of failing to comply, and his bond was set at $3,200.
Sheriff Jim Johnson told WTVA that he has been made aware of threats on social media. It wasn’t immediately clear if he was referring to threats against the officer or the young people, but a look at social media shows calls for violence against the officer.
You can see the video of the incident below. WARNING: Launguage.