NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR (WCMH) — A police officer was attacked by a man under the influence of a powerful drug, police tell KARK-TV.

It happened when Officer David Pettit was called to check on a disturbance at a food mart. Workers at the store say the suspect, Alex Rivers, threatened them and then took off toward the apartment complex.

Pettit caught up to Rivers in an alley. Rivers was slurring his speech, according to a police report.

“And, that’s when the officer started thinking ‘He’s not quite right,'” said Sgt. Brian Dedrick, the spokesman for the North Little Rock Police Department.

The report states Rivers ended up pinning Pettit and punching him in the head.

“The officer was pretty much face first with the suspect on top of him,” said Dedrick.

Police say the suspect even asked 15 people who were recording the beating if they wanted to get shots in too.

“I’m getting mad thinking about it,” Dedrick said. “Because that’s not 99 percent of our community.”

Fortunately, Pettit called for backup and Rivers was arrested on charges of battery and inciting a riot. Rivers later admitted to smoking “sherm,” a powerful drug that minimizes pain and increases strength.

Pettit went to the hospital with a sprained knee but will recover.