By Police1 Staff
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The police detective who was brutally beaten with his own handgun and had picture of the attack posted on social media by spectators, was afraid to use force of the suspect due to media scrutiny, CNN reported.
The officer, who declined to be named for safety reasons, told CNN he didn’t want to be accused of needlessly killing an unarmed man.
“A lot of officers are being too cautious because of what’s going on in the media,” the officer said to the news site. “I hesitated because I didn’t want to be in the media like I am right now.”
Details on the incident have not been fully released, but the department said the suspect was able to grab the officer’s gun and beat him unconscious.
A few onlookers took pictures of the officer and posted them on social media — praising the beating of a cop.
The six-year veteran didn’t shoot the man while he was being assaulted because of the national outcry surrounding police shootings, he said to the publication.
Chief A.C. Roper sees the celebratory reaction to be a symptom of a larger issue.
“As a profession, we have allowed popular culture to draft a narrative which is contrary to the amazing work that so many officers are doing everyday across this nation,” he told the news site.
The officer is “doing much better.” Roper told the website, and reaffirmed the department stands behind him.