Caught on Camera: LR Officer Punching Man in Face

Caught on camera: a Little Rock police officer repeatedly punching a man in the face.

It happened at a private Halloween party at Ferneau in Hillcrest on Saturday October 29th.

Little Rock police Lt. David Hudson was off-duty but working security.

Admittedly, Chris Erwin and his friends weren't invited.

But it was after they'd left the building that things turned bloody.

"There is no justification for that whatsoever," said Erwin's attorney Keith Hall, speaking on Erwin's behalf.

Hall says what happened that Saturday night was inexcusable.

Captured on a bystanders' cell phone, you can see Lt. David Hudson behind Erwin near a wall outside Ferneau, apparently attempting to turn him around to arrest him.

Then in what seems like a sudden move, Lt. Hudson begins repeatedly punching Erwin in the face.

Hall says Erwin didn't even try to defend himself.

"You can tell he's not engaged in any kind of scuffle with the cop. The cop is just giving him a beat down," Hall said.

After a few seconds, Lt. Hudson takes Erwin to the ground.

Erwin was injured by the incident, required stitches and temporarily lost sight in his right eye. He and a friend were ultimately arrested by police.

"The investigation was begun as we do with any use of force," said Lt. Terry Hastings, Spokesperson for Little Rock police.

Lt. Hastings couldn't comment on the specifics of the incident since an investigation is on-going.

But a police report says Erwin and his friends had been told repeatedly to leave the party. One of the friends, the report says, was spilling wine on other patrons.

The report says Erwin was actively resisting arrest.

The video, Lt. Hastings says, may not tell the whole story.

"Now with this video out there people will make judgments on that, based on a short video they see, it's sad people would do that for their 15 minutes of fame," Lt. Hastings said.

But Hall says it's not fame, but justice they're after. The allegations in the police reports, he says, aren't true. But either way, Erwin, he says, didn't deserve this.

"Chris did not make any verbal threats?" the reporter asks? "No threats," Hall said.

Erwin, Hall says, is a victim, not a criminal. In fact, he says its the officer that should be charged.

"Officer Hudson is still on the street and I've got a problem with that," Hall said.

Hall has filed a complaint with the police department and the matter is under an internal investigation.

Depending on the outcome, Hall says he'll consider filing suit in federal court.

Lt. Hudson is still on duty at this time, Lt. Hastings says their officers are well trained on when to use force during arrests.

Of course, we'll stay with this story and bring you more as it develops.