Forth Worth, TX — An off duty Nacogdoches police officer was working security for an apartment complex this month when he approached a group of women and began attacking them. Dramatic video of the incident has sparked controversy as the woman claim they were doing nothing wrong when officer Josh Anders approached them without identifying himself as a cop and began attacking them.

Anders claims he approached the group of bikini clad black women last Wednesday due to ongoing issues with criminal activity. Apparently he thought a bunch of young women in bikinis were trying to rob the place. However, many of the women lived there and had every right to be where they were.

According to a statement from the police department, the officer was conducting an investigation and was attempting to determine if any criminal activity was afoot.

The officer is a courtesy officer who resides at the complex. This officer is frequently relied upon to assist the complex with routine security matters. Contact was made due to ongoing issues with trespassing, burglaries, and other criminal issues at the facility.
During the incident the off-duty officer requested back up from on duty officers. Multiple individuals refused orders to stay while the officer attempted to complete the investigation to determine if the group was trespassing.

According to the young women, the officer never identified himself as a police officer and so they just walked away, which was their right to do so having not committed a crime.

As the Star-Telegram reports, Kim Cole, an attorney representing some of the women, said in a statement that Anders – who wore plaid shorts and an orange T-shirt – identified himself as a security guard but not a police officer and that witnesses to the incident questioned his true identity.

Cole’s statements are backed up by the video as the women scream in fear as they watch this man in plainclothes randomly attack their two friends. What’s more, during the assault, many of the women called 911 which could be heard in the officer’s dashcam video.

As the video shows, and the attorney’s statement notes, Anders immediately got violent. Anders got out of the car, “ripped the wig off her head, tore the T-shirt from her body, put her in a headlock and slammed her to the ground,” the statement said.

While Anders attacked the woman, her friends, clearly not knowing he was a cop, continued to ask why he was doing this and telling each other to “call 911” as they tried to stop the assault.

“Neither of the brutalized young ladies had any clue whatsoever that this belligerent vicious brute was even a police officer,” the statement said.

Both Cole and the department released videos of the incident, one from the dashcam and the other from cell phones. Both videos show an out of control situation in which this officer is brutalizing two young women.

The young woman on the ground, who was filmed getting attacked by Anders is Lindsey Ogbonna. She is a 19-year-old student at Stephen F. Austin State University who is now facing charges of resisting arrest.

Prior to Anders attacking her, she had harmed no one. Only because she attempted to defend herself from some man in an orange shirt and plaid shorts who was attacking her, is she facing charges.

Rightfully so, Cole is asking that all charges be dropped.