( CNN ) A St. Louis man has filed a lawsuit alleging excessive force in a case that involves an officer turning off a dashcam that was recording the man 's arrest . At one point in the video from the dashcam , a female officer can be heard saying : `` Hold up , everybody , hold up . We 're red right now so if you guys are worried about cameras just wait . '' The phrase `` we 're red right now '' indicates that a camera is recording . A second dashcam continued to record . Video of the April arrest shows officers stopping a vehicle being driven by Cortez Bufford , whose car roughly matched the description of one possibly involved in an area shooting . As officers approached the vehicle , they ordered Bufford and his passenger to show their hands . They did . According to the police report , one officer smelled marijuana and saw what looked to be plastic baggies full of a leafy green substance . The passenger was ordered from the vehicle , and he was handcuffed without incident . Bufford was also ordered to exit the vehicle , but he refused and became increasingly agitated , according to the report . He was then removed . While officers attempted to place him in handcuffs , one saw the handle of a handgun sticking out of Bufford 's right front pocket . According to the report , Bufford was seen reaching for the weapon . The video then shows officers kicking Bufford while he is on the ground . According to his suit , Bufford suffered abrasions to his fingers , face , back , head , ears and neck . He was handcuffed after an officer used a Taser on him . A loaded handgun was later removed from Bufford 's pocket . An attorney representing the city and the police department defended the officers ' actions in the arrest , while condemning the officer who turned off the dashcam , which is against department policy . `` The officers were not acting out of line at any time during the arrest . The person involved in this altercation had a semi-automatic gun , and the officers were protecting themselves and the public . They did what had to be done to protect themselves , '' Winston Calvert told CNN . He said the use of force and the dashcam issues are separate . The officer who shut off the dashcam video was referred to an internal affairs department , Calvert said . `` The city 's Police Department has a policy on the use of dash cameras and other cameras , and the Police Department special order says the cameras should be left on until the event is concluded . When we saw that an officer had violated that policy , it was very disappointing , '' he said . `` The internal affairs recommended discipline for the officer , which is what happened . '' Because the case is still open to appeal , Calvert declined to say what the punishment was . He said the officer , who he identified as Kelli Swinton , remains on the job while her appeal is underway . A call to the officer 's lawyer was not returned . Attorney Joel Schwartz , who represents Bufford , is urging reform . All of the charges against his client have been dismissed . According to a statement from St. Louis prosecutor Jennifer M. Joyce , the `` action of turning off the dash camera video diminished the evidentiary merits of the case . '' `` I do n't think an officer on the scene should have the capability to stop the camera from rolling . Otherwise it defeats the entire purpose of having body cameras and/or dashcams , '' Schwartz said . Interactive : Does video of police tell the whole truth ? CNN 's Alina Machado contributed to this report .
Police say Cortez Bufford refused to get out of his car as ordered . The officer then fired a single shot at the vehicle and it crashed into a tree. Bufford had a loaded handgun in his pants , police say .