A viral TikTok is bringing increased scrutiny to Apopka police.@fuego42018 Apopka Florida police department brutally beating a Black Man not knowing that he is an ex police officer. #fuegosunnecessarynecessarynews #fyp ♬ original sound - Fuego
The clip shows members of that department violently arresting former law enforcement officer Jason Friend. In the clips that have been shared, Friend is pulled out of his car in his driveway, punched repeatedly and tased. Friend is suing the city over alleged police brutality, negligent hiring practices and mistreatment at the jail.
Friend told WESH that he was grieving the loss of his mother and in a bad place mentally when police arrived at his home in 2019 to check on a noise complaint. The situation escalated when police approached Friend's car, leading to the incident captured on cell phone videos by neighbors.
“I'm being tasered. And pulled out of my car. And beat, punched, kneed by four officers,” he said. “They didn't see the medical situation at hand and jumped the gun.”
In the video, Friend screams and repeatedly tells the officer's that he's an ex-cop. He asks the officers if this is how they would treat one of their own repeatedly. Neighbors who know Friend yell at the police to leave him alone. One of the officers yells back to "shut the fuck up," which leads to a shouting match between neighbors and police.
As Friend rolls over onto his side and continues to yell about his status as a veteran and ex-cop — at one point he shouts, "I served this country and this is the fucking thanks I get?" — an officer approaches the cell phone-wielding neighbor and tells him it's "offensive" to try and tell police how to do their jobs.
The officer says on the video (and police later shared this in the arrest report) that Friend punched him in the face as they were dragging him out of his car. The arresting officer is notable in this instance, as it is former officer Nathan Tuck. Tuck was a member of the Proud Boys and allegedly took part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. He has since been released from the police department.
The department has yet to release its own bodycam footage, but said that they plan to in the near future.
It's far from the first time that local police have gone viral on TikTok. Two Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies were suspended last year for posting viral videos to the platform while in uniform. Orlando Police Department faced a similar situation to the one playing out here when TikTok stunt cyclists were held at gunpoint by officers.
This article first appeared at Orlando Weekly.
