Fresno Police release body camera footage of weekend incident at Waffle Shop

Chief Hall says officer acted lawfully

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Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Fresno Police release body camera footage of weekend incident at Waffle Shop
Fresno Chief of Police Andy Hall says the officer involved in an incident at the Waffle Shop on Sunday appeared to be acting lawfully.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Chief of Police Andy Hall says the officer involved in an incident at the Waffle Shop on Sunday appeared to be acting lawfully and said the person who was detained was obstructing the officer, according to a release from FPD.

FPD also released body camera footage of the incident, which can be viewed below.

Fresno Chief of Police Andy Hall says the officer involved in an incident at the Waffle Shop on Sunday appeared to be acting lawfully.

Chief Hall said that the officer's detention of the individual allowed for Code Enforcement to complete their jobs, and the individual was released without any further charges.

However, he added that he gave clear directions to officers to avoid arresting or enforcing people based on the shelter-in-place order without his approval, and said an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident is underway.

RELATED: Fresno Councilmember Garry Bredefeld addresses police incident at Waffle Shop

The announcement came hours after Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld held a press conference to address the incident.

On Sunday morning, police officers were dispatched to assist Code Enforcement Officers from the City of Fresno Attorney's Office with issuing a citation to the restaurant's owner.

Bredefeld, along with store owner Ammar Ibrahim, called for Mayor Lee Brand and the city to end Fresno's shelter-in-place order after Sunday's incident. The Waffle Shop has faced multiple fines from the city for refusing to keep its dining room closed.

The original story, published on the day of the incident and updated on Monday, can be viewed here.