Police provide details after video shows officer pointing gun in the direction of child

By Amanda Boettcher

Click here for updates on this story

    WINTER HAVEN, Florida (WFTS) — Winter Haven Police released body camera video of an incident that happened around 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police said that the officers were called to Santiago’s Market at 898 Havendale Boulevard for a fight in the parking lot between a 46-year-old employee at the market and a 29-year-old man who had a gun.

The 29-year-old man left the parking lot in a vehicle with a woman and a small child.

Winter Haven PD said they issued a BOLO for the 29-year-old and found him outside the American Legion at 300 Avenue M NW.

The body camera shows police locating the woman and child that was inside the vehicle. In the video, the officer commands the woman to get on the ground while pointing a gun in the direction of her and the child. Both of them raise their hands and comply with the officer.

The child is seen in the video face down on the ground for about a minute while officers place handcuffs on the woman.

WHPD said the officer responded appropriately to the incident and that once the officer saw the child, he pointed the gun in a downward position away from the child.

The store clerk is not pressing charges in this case, but WHPD filed a complaint affidavit against the 29-year-old for improper use of a firearm.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.