MINNEAPOLIS — UPDATE:
In the video above, Ali Troy Billups speaks out for the first time since a video of his arrest inside an Aldi store in Minneapolis went viral. The video showed a Minneapolis police officer throwing Billups to the ground before placing him under arrest.
Original story:
A video showing a Minneapolis police officer grab a man inside an Aldi store before taking him down to the floor and later arresting him outside, now has nearly 90,000 views since it was posted on Instagram in early December.
Public Information Officer Garrett Parten says the 64-year-old man was arrested and booked for "obstruct legal process with force," a misdemeanor, and the Office of Police Conduct Review is evaluating the matter.
"Department policy and training continues to emphasize the importance of de-escalation efforts to stabilize and resolve situations when safe and feasible," Parten said.
The nearly five-minute video at the store on 14th Avenue South and East Franklin Avenue begins mid-exchange with the man saying, "Don't put your hands on me." The uniformed officer then says, "You're out," while grabbing the man's jacket and taking him down to the floor within around 15 seconds.
During the takedown, a bystander is heard saying "What are you doing? You're supposed to deescalate. How is this deescalating?" While the officer attempts to secure the man's arms behind his back, the bystander asks, "Why is he under arrest?"
The man being arrested also asks, "For what? For what?"
"It's two people having a conversation with each other and you decided to escalate the situation by shoving him," the bystander says to the officer.
At around a minute into the video, the officer and man are back to standing. As the officer attempts to get the man's arms behind his back, the man turns away and says, "Let me go."
The situation appears to deescalate as a woman steps between the pair. The officer proceeds to ask questions to bystanders, including, "Did he pay for his stuff?" Several voices respond saying, "Yes."
The officer later says, "We're going to go talk outside."
When the camera catches up outside, the officer and man are talking near a squad car. "We wasn't fighting," the man says, "We was talking. We weren't pushing. We didn't touch each other. Only I just said, 'Don't put your hands on me.'"
Two additional officers and squad cars appear in the video as the original officer handcuffs the man. Details about what led up to the arrest are minimal.
According to the "public narrative" within the police report submitted by Christopher Lange, the officer was working off-duty security when he witnessed an altercation take place and attempted to stop it.
"One of the parties started to actively resist the officer after being told to leave and still actively resisted when informed he was under arrest," the report reads. "The male was arrested and booked at the Hennepin County Jail. The male arrestee was evaluated by EMS prior to transport."
Court records show the man was released from custody Thursday without bond. A pre-trial scheduled for Jan. 5 is canceled and the case has been dismissed.