Video released Tuesday night (January 23) sheds new light on the incident that led to country singer Chris Young’s arrest.
Country star Chris Young was arrested Monday night after an altercation with agents from the Alcohol Beverage Commission at a Midtown Nashville bar. A new video of the incident surrounding Young’s arrest give a different perspective.
Preliminary reports from the incident indicated that Young acted aggressively toward the agents, forcing one of the agents to push Young “to create a distance.”
The arrest affidavit, written by the agent in question, says, “Once that happened, most of the patrons of the bar got up and got between TABC agents and Mr. Young and began yelling and screaming.”
The report further states that Young started walking backwards and wasn’t complying with orders, although it’s unclear what those orders were.
Two agents had to “physically detain Mr. Young and put him in hand cuffs,” the report reads. “While all agents were trying to leave the bar, multiple people that were with Mr. Young started following the agents and making the incident hostile.”
Camera Footage Shows A Different Story
Nick Beres from Nashville’s Channel 5 News shared footage from The Dawn House bar on social media Tuesday night. It became immediately clear that there was more to the story of Young’s detainment.
Footage shows Chris Young enter the bar with three friends. The men were standing near the bar when TABC agents walked past them, apparently heading toward the door. Young is seen reaching toward the first agent, as if to ask him a question, when the agent abruptly shoves him. The singer’s back strikes the corner of the bar as he falls to the ground.
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Young gets back on his feet with his hands up and takes a few steps backward. One patron and one employee quickly put themselves between Young and the agents. The other patrons are clearly upset by what had transpired, with several of them seen pointing at the agent after the incident.
It’s worth noting that less than a minute passed between the time Chris Young and his friends entered the bar and when the altercation took place.
What Chris Young’s Lawyer Had To Say About His Arrest
Chris Young’s attorney told Channel 5, “All his client wanted to do was to confirm the identity of the men — who were not in obvious uniforms … and ask about the photo of his ID.”
He further stated that Young never should have been arrested and what happened to his client was “wrong.” The attorney feels that the charges should be dropped and TABC should apologize.
Chris Young was charged with three misdemeanors: Disorderly conduct, assault of an officer, and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 16.
What Is An ABC Agent?
ABC Agents are “fully sworn peace officers,” according to the Alcohol Beverage Control website. Their primary job is to investigate violations of a state’s alcoholic beverage laws. They are usually unidentifiable and work in plainclothes. ABC agents also go undercover to investigate other offenses such as narcotics, gambling, human trafficking, receiving stolen property, and alcohol-related crimes.
From The Agent’s Point Of View
A police officer, who spoke to Country Rebel on condition of anonymity, offered his take on the situation. The officer shared that while a disorderly conduct charge is justifiable in this case, his focus would have been on interfering with law enforcement.
“The officers were attempting to do their job and were being followed by a drunk guy with a camera who put a hand out to prevent them from leaving. That’s interfering with an officer.”
He added that he thinks where Chris Young went wrong was when he decided to follow the agents.
“If you ever suspect someone is impersonating an officer, immediately call 911 and report it. Police impersonators are often a danger to the public and it can cause people to get hurt. A civilian should never approach someone they suspect is impersonating an officer.”
The officer concluded with a reminder that there is more to the story than is being told. While we have video proof of the incident, without context it’s impossible to know what was being said between Young, his friends and the agents.
Watch the security camera footage in the clip below. See more footage in the comment section HERE.