An off-duty Dallas police officer was beaten up after he asked a group of people to leave a closed swimming pool at an apartment complex last week.
The incident took place Thursday night, when the officer responded to a call about people hanging out at a pool that was closed, according to WFAA, a local ABC affiliate.
The officer, whose name has not been reported, works as a courtesy patrol officer at the apartment complex where he was beaten in addition to his duties at the Dallas Police Department, according to Dallas Police Association President Michael Mata.
“The officer identified himself as a Dallas Police Officer and attempted to disperse a small crowd,” the Dallas Police Department said. “As the officer was walking away, he was assaulted by multiple individuals and fell to the ground.”
The officer, who was in plainclothes, confronted the group of people and asked them to leave. Several people left after they were approached, but three or four stayed behind and were reportedly talking about the Black Lives Matter movement.
When the officer began taking photos of vehicles believed to belong to those who stayed behind, he was struck in the back and kicked several times, the report said. He lost consciousness and, after waking up, called 911.
Mata said he believes the assault happened because of a growing culture where people believe in “this idea that it is OK in today’s world to disobey authority” and that the officer was attacked specifically because he was a police officer.
“It’s very unfortunate that an officer attempting to do his job was attacked in this manner for nothing else but being a police officer,” Mata said.
Mata added that assaulting a police officer is a criminal offense and that the incident only furthers the divide between law enforcement and community members.
Mata said the officer is recovering at home and expects him to be OK.
No arrests have been made, and detectives are still looking into identifying who was involved in the incident.
