Man arrested after police say he spanked a stranger's child at a Kroger

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A Coweta County man is banned from a Newnan Kroger after police say he spanked a stranger's 2-year-old son.

"I was shocked. I was astonished," Logan Morris, the father of the boy, told Channel 2's Matt Johnson.

The man has been identified at Juan Martinez, 62, of Coweta County.

Johnson obtained body cam video of officers arresting the suspect.

In it, you can see officers take the suspect to the ground as they make their arrest. Police said Martinez was drunk at the time and they threatened to use a taser on him.

"Give me that arm, Juan or I'll electrocute you," one of the officers can be heard saying on camera.

Morris said his son wasn't hurt, just confused, like everyone else who saw it happen.

"He just kind of looked at me with his mouth open, just astonished that some random stranger just popped him on the rear end," Morris said.

Johnson checked Martinez's record at the sheriff's office and learned he has been booked into jail 50 times over the past ten years, mostly from public drunkenness.

He's being held without bond for violating his parole. He's also charged with child cruelty.

Kroger sent Channel 2 Action News this statement about the incident:

"We are taking this matter very seriously, as providing a safe place for customers to shop is our first and foremost priority at Kroger. We do not tolerate this type of behavior in our stores or on our property. As such, we appreciate our associate's quick action in reporting the incident and contacting authorities. We are working closely with local authorities and will assist in any way we can to support their investigation."

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