The Brief
Dashcam and bodycam footage of a viral arrest incident in Kemah has been released.
Texas City Officer Peter Behler said he stopped Weston Mabee for a fake license plate.
Mabee was later charged for allegedly assaulting the officer.
TEXAS CITY, Texas - New videos have been released of a viral arrest incident by a Texas City police officer in Kemah.
Kemah arrest: Police videos released
The backstory
Dashcam and bodycam videos were released of an arrest attempt that happened on Monday. Weston Mabee was stopped by Texas City Officer Peter Behler outside the Ulta on FM 517 for allegedly having a fake license plate on his vehicle.
Video taken by Mabee's partner showed tense moments during his arrest. He was later charged with assaulting a peace officer.
RELATED: Video of Texas City Police takedown in Kemah; man arrested on assault charge
WARNING: The video below contains graphic content
The backstory
Bodycam video shows Officer Behler approached Mabee by his vehicle, stating he was with a county-wide task force and telling Mabee to get back in his vehicle. Texas City Police said the officer was working with a task force in Galveston County.
Mabee is heard telling the officer that he knew his rights and that this confrontation wasn't a traffic stop.
Officer Behler ordered Mabee to put his hands behind his back so he could be detained. The officer said he ran Mabee's license plate, and no information came up.
Mabee refused the order, saying Officer Behler had no right to detain him. Mabee then states that he has children in the vehicle, opens the back door, and tells the officer to call a sergeant.
Officer Behler then tells Mabee to walk to the front of the police vehicle, which Mabee refuses. The officer then asks Mabee where the vehicle's license plate came from, to which Mabee says the plate was bought online and the vehicle he was in was used in a car show.
The officer repeatedly tells Mabee to step in front of the police vehicle. Mabee refuses again, stating Officer Behler had no right to make orders.
He also tells Officer Behler that he recently served four years in prison.
RELATED: History of Ofc Behler, Weston Mabee
Officer Behler then grabs Mabee's arm and forces him to the ground. Mabee is seen on his back under Officer Behler and throws a punch at him. Texas City PD and witnesses have conflicting claims about whether the punch happened and if it landed.
The video continues with Officer Behler having Mabee on his back and telling him to get on his stomach and put his hands behind his back. Mabee says the order was difficult to do with the officer on top of him.
Both men are heard cursing at each other during the struggle. Mabee is also heard saying that he'll sue Officer Behler, and the officer can be heard saying he'd let his K-9 bite Mabee.
Officer Behler then presses his hand on Mabee's face and has him roll onto his stomach. Mabee repeatedly claims that he was not resisting arrest and that the officer was "illegally detaining" him.
He also tells the officer to get off him, saying the officer was going to injure him and he was getting overheated. The officer ignores the demand and calls for backup.
Another witness is seen coming up to the officer while recording, saying, "You have no reason to be doing this."
WARNING: The video below contains graphic content and no audio
After about another minute of back-and-forth between Mabee and Officer Behler, another officer comes to help take Mabee to their vehicle.
Mabee continues speaking against Officer Behler as he and the other officer put Mabee on the hood of the police car.
The officer goes to Mabee's partner, Felicia Aubert, and asks for her ID while other officers put Mabee in a wrap. When Officer Behler comes back, the camera audio catches Mabee calling for an EMT.
Through the last six minutes of the video, Officer Behler can be heard telling other officers to take Mabee to the Galveston County Jail, and discussing the incident with Aubert, the other witness, and other officers.
Toward the end, Officer Behler tells other officers that he believed Mabee and Aubert were "coming to steal."
The Source
Breakdown from the full body camera video.
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