Watch State Trooper Body Slam Northwestern Doctor

The arrest of a Northwestern Medicine doctor last weekend on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter was caught on video and is now the subject of controversy.

Some say the Louisiana State Trooper seen in the video body slamming Michael J. Hoffman of Northwestern’s Feinberg School was out of bounds, while others say he was well within reason.

The head of the Louisiana State Police agrees with the latter.

The trooper was asked to step into a bar on Bourbon Street around 4 a.m. on Saturday, June 25, during a dispute between Hoffman and his brother with bar staff. The bar had asked Hoffman to leave. Hoffman claimed they still had his credit card.

The video shows a brief verbal confrontation between Hoffman and the trooper. The trooper then pushed Hoffman’s brother into a garbage can and as the confrontation moved to an inside area, showed the trooper body slamming Hoffman to the ground in front of several onlookers.

Attorneys for Hoffman hold that he did nothing wrong, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

Hoffman - who specializes in infectious diseases and internal medicine at Northwestern - was charged with public intoxication, criminal trespass, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. He also suffered injuries to his arms and abdomen.