LAWRENCE, Mass. — A Lawrence police officer was placed on leave after a chaotic scene was caught on video by witnesses.
Officer Alberto Inostrozo is a 29-year veteran of the department, but the video appears to show him grow increasingly confrontational.
The video was recorded by Michael Centeno, who said Inostroza responded to a motorcycle crash in Lawrence Sunday night.
Centeno then decided to take out his phone and started recording. He asked for the officer's badge number, and says that's when you see the officer knock the phone out of Centeno's hand and threaten to arrest him.
Centeno says officer Inostroza was being aggressive when friends of the crash victim asked for an ambulance and later expressed concern a paramedic was being rough in handling the victim.
"He shoved me and my phone hit my face and I had my hands up in the air and in my head I was just thinking 'I'm going to get hurt,'" Centeno said.
Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick denied an interview request from Boston 25 News, but issued a statement saying Officer Inostroza had been put on paid leave during an internal investigation.
“I just want them to give another training so they can talk more professional and keep their cool because at the end of the day being a police officer is pretty hard,” Centeno told Boston 25 News over the phone.
Mayor Dan Rivera told Boston 25 News aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.
"Those situations only because more dangerous when you don't de-escalate them and all I kept thinking is 'I hope at some point somebody calms everybody down,'" Rivera said.
Boston 25 News went to Inostroza’s home for a comment. A man who appeared to be Inostroza yelled at our crew to get off his property saying his “civil rights were being violated.”