Adrian Martin found himself on the other end of McKinney, Texas, Police Cpl. David Eric Casebolt’s service firearm when he attempted to approach a distressed teenage girl who had just been forced to the ground by the same officer.
The 18-year-old, who was later arrested, told WFAA-TV that he was scared when he saw the gun, but he does not regret attempting to approach and calm the younger girl.
“I shift to the side a little bit to get her to look at me in the face and say, ‘Look, We’re going to call your mom. It’s all right,’ because she’s shouting, ‘Call my momma! Call my momma!’” Martin explained. That was when video footage taken of the incident Friday shows Casebolt drawing his weapon and the young man starting to run away.
“Were his actions reasonable?” Martin’s attorney Heath Harris asked of his client’s response to the distressed girl. “Under the circumstances, I’d say they were reasonable.”
“The only thing that made his actions different from anyone else is the unfortunate fact that he was bumped from behind, which brought him a little closer to the officer,” the lawyer added, saying that the officer overreacted. “But if you watch the video, you see he immediately backtracks and gains distance between the officer.”
Charges against the teenager—which included interfering with police and evading arrest—have since been dropped.
Read more at USA Today.