APD finds no officer wrongdoing in IHOP incident

Back in April, off-duty Atlanta Police Officer Jose Vidal punched a rowdy female customer inside a Buckhead IHOP — and thanks to restaurant patrons, the whole incident was caught on tape (you can watch from the perspective of two Stormtroopers here).

The Atlanta Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards has completed its review of the case, and decided that Vidal followed procedure. He’d been placed on administrative duty while the investigation was pending, and is, presumably, back on regular duty.

Ashley Leavell, the woman on the receiving end of Vidal’s punch, is still being charged with felony obstruction. For a refresher, here’s Vidal’s account of what happened:
Ms. Ashley Leavell came over to the booth and started yelling to leave Ms. Cynthia Freeman alone. Officer C. Heflin arrived and assisted me in trying to get the incident under control. Officer Heflin advised Ms. Leavell to stay back and Ms. Leavell punched me in the left side of my face. I returned the punch and struck her in her face. I then grabbed Ms. Leavell and tried to put her in custody. Ms. Leavell resisted arrest after a short struggle, I placed her in custody.

APD hasn’t released the OPS report yet, but will “soon” according to the AJC.