Arrested for letting dog out? Not quite, NJ cops say after clash

MOUNT EPHRAIM — Local police released a video taken by a witness showing the arrest of a man they say attempted to flee after providing false information during a routine investigation.

The incident happened on Monday when police responded to a call about a dog that had been running loose and the dog's owner threatening a girl, according to a Facebook post from the department. When the officers talked to a man matching the description, they determined he had not given them the right identification. Police also learned that the man had a warrant for his arrest.

When police returned, the man attempted to run before he was caught after a brief pursuit, according to the department. The video begins after the officers catch up to the man.

A woman shooting the video berates the officers with profanity. She also accuses the officers of arresting him just because he's black.

"This is why you're doing this, cause our dogs got lost?" she asks them. "Our dogs got out of the yard and he told a little girl to stop."

The video shows the man attempting to elbow one of the officers in the face, "yet he still remains calm and composed utilizing only the force needed to maintain control of the arrestee," the department said.

"This is a perfect example of how something so simple, a call that these officers may have thought would be easily handled, can turn into something very different, very quickly," the department said. "The officers made every attempt to deescalate the situation and attend to their responsibilities using the least amount of force possible and once the whole story is known that becomes more obvious when viewing the video."

The man was charged with hindering apprehension, resisting arrest and aggravated assault on a police officer. His case has been referred to the Camden County Superior Court.

Phone calls and emails to the Mount Ephraim police seeking more information, including the identity of the man, were not returned Tuesday afternoon.