VIDEO: Missouri Police Officer Punches, Tases Man in Violent Arrest

Video of a police officer punching an unarmed man on the ground outside a gas station in Cape Girardeau attracted thousands of views on Facebook last night, leading the police department to release body cam footage of the incident this morning.

According to the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the interaction began yesterday around 3:30 p.m. when an officer responded to a Rhodes gas station not far from Southeast Missouri State University's campus in response to a reported theft.

As the officer was speaking to employees, the suspect in the theft returned to the premises. That suspect was later identified as Shawn Stockard, a 30-year-old man with long blond hair, wearing cargo shorts.

The officer interviewed Stockard outside the gas station, and the interaction from there is captured on the officer's body cam.

"I just feel like I'm tripping," Stockard tells the officer

The officer asks Stockard if he's taken any drugs.

Stockard says that he's taken some "salt" and "oatmeal raisin cookies," the later of which he says he didn't pay for.


The officer tells Stockard to put his hands behind his back. According to police, at this point Stockard, "pulled away from the officer," an assertion that gas station surveillance video seems to corroborate.

"Stop! Stop!" the officer says.

"OK, OK, OK," replies Stockard.

At one point Stockard says, "sir."

To which the officer replies what sounds like, "Give me another one and fight."

A 40-second-long tussle ensues, though bystander video of the incident seems to show that there is significantly more force being directed from the officer to Stockard than vice-versa. Several times, the officer attempts to punch Stockard's face, with some of the blows connecting.

Police say that while Stockard was on the ground he reached for the officer's gun.

"You can't hit him like that!" someone yells.

The two men eventually separate. According to police, "The officer deployed his department issued Taser, which struck Stockard and had the desired effect."

The bystander video shows Stockard go rigid and then fall to the ground hard.

It's unknown at this time if the officer will face any disciplinary action for how he conducted the arrest. Stockard has not been charged with any crimes as of Friday morning.

According to police, "Stockard did not report or appear to be injured during the altercation. The officer received a small laceration to the right side of his face along with a laceration inside his mouth during the altercation."

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