An Alabama police chief is defending his officers after a video was released showing five officers holding a man down while a sixth repeatedly punched him in the head following a car chase after he was found to have marijuana in his car.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, officers from the Wetumpka police department pulled over Roger Deffenbaugh, 52, and discovered marijuana and a bottle of liquor in his car. Deffenbaugh refused to step out of his vehicle and instead took off, leading police on a car chase.

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“We asked him to step out of his car, but he refused to get out of the car and took off,” Wetumpka Police Chief Danny Billingsley explained. “We got in pursuit and ran him all over 231 through a subdivision and wound up at the rear of the casino, where he rammed his car into a door out there and at that time, he was taken into custody.”

In video taken from a casino balcony, Deffenbaugh cannot be seen as he is held down by five cops while one punched him over and over as another officer observes.

According to Billingsley, Deffenbaugh tried to run over one of his officers and the arresting police were trying to handcuff him as he resisted arrest.

Billingsley said he was willing to talk to the man who recorded the video — identified as Montgomery resident Steven Tucker — since he was a witness.

“I think everything we did was above-board, but we’re going to talk to him since he was a witness and make sure we have everything covered,” Billingsley said before adding “We have not received any complaint from the individual that we put in jail.”

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Deffenbaugh is being held in Elmore jail after being charged with attempting to elude police, second-degree assault, second-degree possession of marijuana, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of prescription drugs.

Watch the video below from The Montgomery Advertiser: