Clayton County police release body cam of use of force video that went viral from Ring doorbell
By: A viral video is making its rounds and shows a metro Atlanta man's interaction with the Clayton County Police Department. 11Alive is walking you through the Ring doorbell footage and the police bodycam video that has raised so many questions.
Clayton County Police held a press conference Wednesday and said they believe what happened in the video is within their policy. At the same time, the man in the video said he's shaken and plans to move far away from Clayton County.
Police released body camera footage of the Dec. 15 interaction with a man. The video starts off with an officer questioning that man, who stood by a vehicle, which investigators believe was connected to a crime at another location.
Eugene Johnson said he's the man in the video and went outside to get his friend's dog.
“I told them it’s not my vehicle. I don’t know whose vehicle it is," Johnson said. “I was attending a housewarming or a gathering at a friend’s house.”
Clayton County Police Major Anthony Thuman said the situation could have been prevented if Johnson identified himself when an officer asked his name.
“The male refused to identify himself or provide any information but kept going to the front door, at which time as the video has been released, you can see and hear where a code is punched repeatedly trying to get in the door," Thuman said.
Johnson said he didn't give his name because he isn't connected to the investigation. He added, he had permission to be in his friend's house.
The viral YouTube video shows an officer telling Johnson and a woman not to go into the home.
“Again, if you’re going in that house, you’re going to jail. Both of you," the officer said in the video.
In the video, the woman asked, 'Why?' And the officer replied, 'for obstruction.'
“The female officer told me I could go in, and as soon as she told me I could go in, the door opening, and that’s when he grabbed me by my neck," Johnson said.
In the body camera footage, though, you can't hear the female officer and only the male officer trying to keep Johnson outside.
Clayton County Police said Johnson hit his head on the door during the struggle, and Johnson appears to have blood coming from his head in the doorbell video.