MEMPHIS, Tenn — Flashing lights, police cars and several investigators took over Madison Avenue near Tucker Street just before 2 p.m. Saturday.
Memphis Police said an off-duty officer got into a physical altercation over a blocked driveway.
“It’s miserable. It stinks, but to get physical or to do something else like this is just ridiculous,” said one neighbor, who did not want to be identified.
Police said the off-duty officer was trying to pull out of a driveway near Wizard’s, but a driver had her blocked.
Neighbors said the female officer blew her horn and began arguing with the driver.
Police claimed the driver had hit the officer before she placed him under arrest.
“If you hit a police officer, I think it’s fair you get arrested,” Jay Payton said.
It is not clear who threw the first punch. MPD internal affairs investigators are working to get to the bottom of what happened.
“I would hope that they would handle it fairly,” Payton said.
Neighbors said officers demanded witnesses leave the area immediately following the fight and arrest.
“I heard him specifically say get the *expletive* out of here,” a neighbor told police.
Police said they are reviewing all of the statements they collected on the scene to make sure things were handled properly and to ensure their officer was not out of line.
WREG tried questioning a police spokesperson further about this incident Saturday evening but was told there was not any more information available.
It is not clear if the officer, whose name has not been released, will remain on the job during the internal affairs investigation.
