Christopher White, the man behind the viral video set in Jacksonville Beach, is coming out and saying that he is the victim after he was tased and hit with a baton at the bar "Surfer".
White spoke with our news partners Action News Jax.
“I was just trying to protect myself, I didn’t want to get hurt.” White says.
According to the arrest report provided by the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, staff at the bar accused White of not paying his $235 bar tab and hitting a bouncer.
White claims he paid his tab, after his first card was denied. While he was inside the bar he says someone threw a bottle at him hitting him in his head.
“After that I was stumbling, and I went outside and I was trying to explain to the cop that, hey, I paid my tab and I was hit in the head with a bottle and I couldn’t get a word in edgewise” White says.
White also claims he didn’t throw any punches inside the bar.
Witnesses who were at the bar say they saw a different story. When asked if White didn’t throw any punches inside the bar, one witness, Jon McGowan says that’s not true.
“He threw a few punches in there” McGowan says.
McGowan goes on to describe Whites behavior inside and outside the bar.
“He was violent, and he was very violent in the bar and he had been violent outside the bar as well.” Mcgowan says.
The viral video shows police tasing White 3 times and hitting him with a baton before being taken to the ground. In the video it appears White says he’s not fighting with police.
The arrest report shows, on Sunday, police arrested White and tased him 3 times and beat him with a baton. 4 handcuffs were needed to arrest him. White is facing 5 charges including resisting an officer with violence.
