FORT WAYNE, Ind. – An investigation is underway after video surfaced that appears to show a Fort Wayne Police officer threatening residents with his Taser and firearm both drawn.
A video shared with NewsChannel 15 on Wednesday shows 2 minutes, 20 seconds of an exchange between an unidentified Fort Wayne Police officer and a group of people outside a home at 6422 Hazelett Road on Fort Wayne’s northeast side early Tuesday afternoon.
In the video, the officer can be seen holding his Taser in his right hand, and his firearm in his left hand – at the same time.
The officer repeatedly points the Taser but keeps the firearm at his side in the video. At one point, the officer holsters his firearm then draws it again.
Izaiah Galvan shot the video. It does not show the entire incident.
Galvan told NewsChannel 15 the police were called to the property by his father’s girlfriend after his father and the girlfriend got into an argument. Galvan said the woman left the property before officers arrived at the home.
Fort Wayne Police incident logs show officers responded to the home on a domestic disturbance call.
Galvan said police arrived at the home as he was preparing to leave with a group of friends and as his father was closing up the garage. Galvan said his father approached the officer in the video to ask why he and another officer had come to the home.
Galvan said his father got within arm’s length of the officer and the officer in the video pulled his firearm.
That’s when Galvan said he took out his phone and began recording.
“I thought he was going to shoot my dad right there,” Galvan told NewsChannel 15. “I just wanted to make sure. If my dad was going to get shot, I was going to have proof that he had no reason to. There was no reason for the officer to even withdraw his gun out of his holster. There was no reason for that at all.
“For him to have his gun in his left hand and to pull out his taser with his right hand, too while his gun is still in his left hand – unnecessary. There was nobody even approaching him in any type of way for him to do any of that.”
In the video, Galvan can be heard asking for the officer’s name and badge number, but the officer did not provide it. At one point, the officer said his name was “mother f—er.”
NewsChannel 15 has independently learned the officer in the video is Officer Bob Abels. The police department would not confirm his identity.
Police spokesman Michael Joyner also refused to provide the report associated with the incident, and would not offer a comment.
Joyner did say there was “an internal investigation looking into the matter,” however.
Galvan said after he stopped recording, some 30 squad cars showed up and blocked Hazelett Road.
He said he felt the incident was handled inappropriately.
“They’re supposed to be protecting and serving, and they’re trying to threaten us,” Galvan said of Fort Wayne Police.