BARTLETT, Tenn. - An off-duty Bartlett Police Officer was arrested on Sunday after being accused of sexual battery, according to court records.
Hunter Kissinger, a Bartlett Police Officer, was arrested on February 9 after being accused of inappropriately touching a tattoo artist during a tattoo session on Stage Road.
A past post by the Bartlett Police Department shows Kissinger was sworn in as a police officer in 2019.
The tattoo artist gave FOX13 surveillance showing the incident. You can see Kissinger lying on the table and his move over. Then the artist jumps back, gets up and confronts him.
The victim told police Kissinger touched him on his thigh several times.
"The first weird thing he did, was he touched himself in his private regions and told me not to mind his erection. And he used coarse words, of course — I'm kinda being nice," said Brandon Kenneth, the tattoo artist. "He did that a couple times, and then it turned to him touching me and fondling me."
"I didn't respond to his comment, and it led to him feeling like he was comfortable to do more."
Kenneth told FOX13 how he wasn't going to let this be swept under the rug. He put Kissinger under a citizen's arrest and kept him detained while he was on the phone with dispatch. He had to push Kissinger off of him and struck him in the face.
"...he was just kind of asking why I did that and saying he was sorry," Kenneth said.
When you observe the surveillance video and see Kissinger's mugshot, you can see an injury to his face.
According to BPD, Kissinger has been placed on administrative leave for an indefinite period pending the outcome of the investigation.
BPD released a statement below:
"The alleged actions leading to this officer's arrest directly violate our department's core values. As a result, the officer has been placed on administrative leave for an indefinite period pending the outcome of an Internal Investigation.
The Bartlett Police Department holds its officers to the highest professionalism, integrity, and accountability standards. The community's trust is paramount, and we will take swift action to ensure that those who serve and protect the law are held to the same standards as the public they serve."
Kissinger waived his Miranda Rights and admitted to being involved in an incident with Kenneth but could not recall touching the victim inappropriately, an affidavit read.
"It definitely makes me nervous, especially because I reside in the city that his police district is in. It's definitely intimidating for me," Kenneth said. "I talked about that with every officer I spoke to, whether it's Memphis, Bartlett, or whoever — detectives, everybody -- I brought up the fact that I was worried about the fact that he was a police officer, and all the things that could follow behind that, whether it was his friends or people covering for him, or trying to sweep things under the rug. That's why I'm here with you guys today."
In July 2021, Kissinger was named 'Officer of the Month' and he is also assigned to Bon Lin Elementary as a school resource officer, including this school year.
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