Atlanta

Man accuses APD officer of excessive force: ‘I live in fear'

ATLANTA — A 25-year-old man who claims he was severely beaten by an Atlanta police officer while leaving a Midtown bar says he's seeking justice and living in fear.

Anthony Walters, 25, was at Bulldogs on Peachtree Street in Midtown on Oct 16, 2016, when he says Officer Yasin Abdulahad used excessive force while arresting him.

“I just want justice for the situation. That’s all. I just want to find out what I did to deserve to look like that,” Walter said.

Anthony Walters said he was brutally beaten by an Atlanta police officer while leaving a midtown bar.

In a report obtained by Channel 2 Action News we've learned the officer that Walters said assaulted him is the same Atlanta Police Department officer who is being investigated for the shooting death of a man at the Atlanta police annex building.

While the Police Department confirmed they are investigating, they have yet to hear Walters' side of the story.

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“I had a lot of fractures,” Walters said. “I live with the fear of, 'Is somebody just gonna attack me? Am I just this bad person?'”

The photos of Walters' face are making news. Now, Walters faced the camera for Channel 2 Action News.

Walters said he doesn’t remember his encounter at Bulldogs nightclub with Abdulahad, who was working an off-duty job there.

But he doesn’t believe he's capable of doing what Abdulahad's police report says he did.

“I’ve never reacted in that way. I’ve been taught to respect the law,” Walters said.

His new attorneys, Riah Greathouse and L. Chris Stewart, said the incident raises questions about what Abdulahad is cable of.

“This is a track record of using excessive force,” Stewart said.

Abdulahad is also under investigation for the fatal shooting of Deaundre Phillips at the Atlanta Police Department annex on Jan. 27.

“I feel like I could’ve did something about this, pushed it harder,” Walters said.

Sgt. Warren Pickard with the Atlanta Police Department said Walters was charged with disorderly conduct in the Bulldogs case.

“I100 percent believe I’m innocent of that,” Walters said.

Pickard said the incident report spells out reasonable force to make an arrest and if Walters says more force was used than necessary, he should come forward to internal affairs.

“We’ll certainly cooperate with the official process, and anything that we need to do on our side as far as cooperation to get to the bottom of this,” Greathouse said.

Walters said he had four drinks that night but believes his memory loss is a result of his encounter with Abdulahad.

“Do you believe you swung at that officer?” Channel 2’s Mark Winne asked.

“No, sir,” Walters responded.