In Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, a man in the process of moving to Kansas was arrested after a police officer took offence to his words, even after the officer told the man he was “free to go.”
The incident, involving officer Hedges, occurred after Avery Williams asked for his badge number. The officer did give it over, but things escalated quickly after Williams said the incident was going online to show the world how an officer pushed his weight around without probable cause.
“This is going to go online so people can see truth and consequences, how you guys push your weight around,” Williams says. What followed was Williams being pushed into the concrete, his arms roughly pushed up behind his back, threatening to tase him, and handcuffed without reason. All the while, Williams states he is not resisting arrest and pleads for a reason behind the aggression.
Williams recently uploaded the video online to the Oath Accountability Project (OAP); showing officer Hedge abuse his police powers after being asked for his badge number and supervisor’s name.
The incident began after Williams attempted to redeem his lottery scratchy cash prize at a KY Pilot gas station. Williams stated the trouble began when the gas station attendant became abusive, refusing to grant the prize money and telling him to “f***ing go to the speedway.” Williams did the right thing by walking away from the screaming attendant, tired after being on the road for 12 hours moving to a new house.
According to Williams, he proceeded to the McDonald’s attached to Pilot to get drinks for himself and his female friend. After leaving McDonald’s, the Pilot attendant began “running her mouth” at him. At this time, Williams took his phone out and told her that he was going to report her for misconduct, at which time she replied that she had a police officer inside that would say otherwise.
After the arrest you can hear the female friend pleading with the officer to let her friend go. She tells the officer she is unlicensed, cannot drive the car, and doesn’t know anybody in Kentucky who can help her. It is late at night and she has nowhere to go.
The officer responds with a pathetic excuse of Williams being warned, not heeding the warning and suffering the consequences of arrest. At no time does Ofc. Hedges explain why Williams is arrested and at no time does the video show probable cause.
This is just another case of the police throwing their weight around and taking offense to the truth. Williams was later released on a measly $50 booking fee, a display in itself that the arrest was not justified.