HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — A controversial video making it’s rounds on social media shows the arrest of a Holly Springs man who, according to witnesses, was just barbacuing before police officers showed up.
The video appears to show Rob Smith and police officers tussling on Saturday
“The police pulled up and harassed everyone,” Kendric Brown said.
Brown is the man who pulled out his phone and started recording as his friend appeared to engage in some sort of struggle with Holly Springs police.
“They slammed him against cars and on hard concrete,” he said.
Police admit they weren’t headed in Smith’s direction originally nor were they called to Christine’s, the place where Smith and friends were barbacuing.
“We BBQ, we eat and we chill. That’s what we do. We’ve been doing this since I was a kid,” Brown said.
He says it’s a tradition, but last Saturday things took a turn and he’s not sure why.
Police say they didn’t plan to arrest Smith, but he ended up being charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
“They were wrong for it. This man is terrified to come out of his house,” Brown said.
Witnesses say police maced Smith and were aggressive from the time they pulled up.
“Enough is enough. We are tired,”
Four of the officers resigned from the police department right after the controversial video surfaced, but Chief Dwight Harris told us that’s just a coincidence.
Smith did go to the hospital but is expected to be okay.
