ONLY ON 3: Wrightsville Beach Police use force, make no arrests during weekend fight

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Police say a Saturday night fight in Wrightsville Beach got so out of hand they had to use force to gain control of the situation, yet it took them days to try and make any arrests.

Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House says officers responded after a man was kicked out of Red Dogs, a bar on Lumina Avenue. House said the man was belligerent and hit a woman in the face as police arrived. The chief says the situation escalated as a crowd started to form.

In video obtained by WWAY you can see a Wrightsville Beach Police officer hitting a man with a baton repeatedly. House says this is the first time an officer has had to use force in the four years he’s been chief.

“It’s probably the best option that he had at that moment,” Chief House said. “Any time you look at a situation like this you look at the totality of circumstances of everything that happened in the situation.”

House says no officers are on leave as a result of the incident. He went on to say no arrests have been made, though his department got warrants yesterday for the arrest of the man being hit in the video. The investigation continues.

Stay with WWAY for more on this developing story and see the video tonight on WWAY NewsChannel 3 at 5 and 6.