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Comment by truth on November 11, 2011 at 11:00pm

DALLAS — A YouTube has surfaced that shows a Dallas police officer shove Occupy Dallas protester Stephen Benavides off a Bank of America planter during an event last weekend -- one that resulted in eight people getting arrested.

Benavides said all along that he'd been pushed, which the police department denied. The encounter turned into a mini-riot, and Benavides was charged with assaulting a public servant and resisting arrest. He was held in Dallas County Jail until Wednesday night, when he posted a bond of more than $50,000.

Benavides told the DMN that Officer Jimmy Hollis told him to get off the planter but gave him no time to comply before giving him a shove.

Hollis has been placed on restricted duty and the police department is launching an investigation. They posted the following statement on their Facebook page:

Last night, the Dallas Police Department discovered a new video of the Occupy Dallas demonstration that occurred on November 5, 2011. The video shows a Dallas Police Officer, who was working off-duty for Bank of America, push a demonstrator off a planter in front of the building. Chief David Brown has ordered the officer placed on restricted duty and initiated a formal investigation into the officer's actions. The restricted duty assignment will also prohibit the officer from working off-duty employment until the departmental investigation is complete.

In light of this development, the Police Department has requested that the Dallas County District Attorney and the Dallas City Attorney proceed no further with the criminal cases alleged to have occurred until further consultation takes place. These meetings are anticipated to occur next week.

The Dallas Police Department is dedicated to the protection of all members of the public. Any allegation of police misconduct is taken seriously and will be vigorously investigated. The Police Department encourages any witnesses who would like to make a statement or who have additional video to contact the Internal Affairs Division at (214) 671-3986.