The man arrested while recording cops as they stopped a Black driver claims he got punched by his arresting officer ... and he wants the cop canned and charged for assault and battery.
Joe Bennett's attorney, Sam Aguiar, insists his client did absolutely nothing wrong when he recorded the incident Friday in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, and calls the actions of Officer Cruz "deplorable and unlawful."
According to the lawyer ... when Joe refused to hand over his ID, the cop punched his face in a "fit of rage" and caused his eye to close and blacken.
Aguiar says of the altercation ... "If Officer Cruz was able to snap so quickly in this situation, there is no telling what else he has done in situations where there was actually provocation. Cruz’s actions are demonstrative of a loose cannon who lacks regard for the constitutional protections of citizens."
As we reported ... Joe was actually charged with resisting arrest and menacing in the incident, but his legal team thinks this is outrageous, and the cop is the one who should be charged.
Joe's legal team's calling for Officer Cruz to be dismissed from the Jeffersontown PD and hit with assault and battery charges. They also want Joe's charges dropped.
As for the internal affairs investigation the police dept. says is underway ... Aguiar's demanding a transparent report once it is complete. Joe's lawyer says, "This type of conduct cannot be allowed to happen without severe accountability."