He smacked me in the face, a couple of times. He side punched. He had gotten mad cuz he didn't come home. Um he had unloaded the gun and pressed it to my head and you know, pulled the trigger and everything. >> Just after 5:00 in the morning, a woman texts her boss [music] to say she can't come in. It isn't because she's sick. The reason she gave sent four officers to her door [music] before sunrise. >> Fargo police. >> Who's your guy? >> What? >> He has your guns. >> Who? >> Anthony. Anthony Peterson. >> Is he asleep? Is he asleep? Where is he? Where are the guns? >> They're right there. He's starting to drink and I think he's drinking. He's got a wild look. >> Does he live here? >> No. >> When did he show up? >> He showed up a couple of days ago. >> Okay. >> But he was like, "Well, you got to go." >> Hold on cuz we won't know where you are. >> Anthony. >> Anthony >> Anthony what? >> Peterson. >> Okay. Has he hurt you at all? >> I mean, he just punches and body slams. >> Okay. >> I got bruises like these. >> Yeah. >> Probably is. >> How old is he? He's 39. >> Did you Did you drive him here? >> No. >> Did he stop Did he stop yelling at >> Yeah. >> Anthony, Fargo police. Fargo police. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Fargo police. >> Go on your face. >> Yes, sir. >> Go on your face. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> On your face. >> Yes, sir. On your face. >> Yes, sir. >> Put your hands behind your back. Behind your back. >> Yes, sir. >> Behind your back. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> Hey, don't move. >> Yes, sir. What did I do now? >> We'll explain that to you in a second. >> Okay. >> You have any weapons on you? >> No, sir. >> What are the lights for? on for you. we'll get you. >> Okay. >> All right, I'm going to roll you to your side here. >> Okay. >> You're going to go up on your knees. >> And do you have any weapons on you? Uh I have some on me, but no weapon. No weapon. >> Okay. >> I don't have no weapon. I'm not going to fight you. >> You okay if we search you? >> Yeah, that's fine. >> Okay. >> No problem. >> Here's what makes this footage unusual. The man being handcuffed is calm, cooperative, almost confused, asking what he did wrong. But the answer to that question is being given a few feet away by someone who lived it. And the version she describes has nothing in common with the man on camera. That distance between how someone behaves once the cameras arrive and who they are when they don't is [music] the entire case. >> Has he like threatened you tonight in any way or or today? >> Yeah. He's not threatening me. He's like all my friends. He's like, "I know family. I know her. I know what's possible and have them killed and you have to pay for it." >> So, I know you I know you said to my sergeant earlier that, you know, he got physical. What >> Like, how did he do it? >> Did he hit you? Did he hit you? >> Yeah, he hit me on the side and he's throwing things at me. >> When did that happen tonight? >> Yeah. >> Where did he hit you at? >> Um just like this. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Can I look just like you? You don't have any marks. >> Is there a red mark here? >> Yeah. >> It doesn't look like you have any maybe a lot of bruises. I'll probably ask him to leave. >> Yeah. >> So, I know we didn't explain a lot when we got here, but you called? >> Yeah. >> And >> He He like took my phone. >> and I texted him and then my co-worker called me back. >> Okay, good. So, like I said, he called. She said that you got a hold of a co-worker. What like what was said with the co-worker? >> I just told him that my business is holding me hostage and I told him not to text me back or anything because I didn't want him to see he was asleep when I snuck my phone real quick to tell him and yeah. >> Okay. About how many times did he hit you today or tonight? >> It was only like he smacked me in the face a couple of times um and then just that and a side punch. >> Okay. And then I mean what like what was were you guys arguing or >> Mhm. >> Was it >> I don't know why he started tweaking. I was in the shower and then everything just happened and I had been drinking. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. So, I was like, "Okay, I don't understand." But yeah. >> How long have you two been kind of together off and on? >> I don't really want to get together. He just showed up. >> And this is after he got out of jail? >> Yeah, well he had went to his uncle's and then he showed up a couple of days ago and I was like, "What are you doing here?" And he was like, "You know exactly what I'm doing here." >> [music] >> And I was just like, "Well, let it go, whatever." Mhm. And I was like, "Okay." >> Okay. And whose firearms were those that were over here? Were those his, yours? >> Is this recording? >> It's just recording just so if anything would happen on our end that way. >> Okay. Well, the hair is his, but it's supposed to say they're mine. >> And has he told you to say that before? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Cuz he's on probation. He's supposed to have anything. >> Okay. Has So, we talked about the today tonight's incident. Has since he's been here has anything has he been physical with you before? >> Not before. Not recently now, but before he was here, yeah. He had gotten mad cuz I didn't come home. We were actually together at that point. Got mad cuz I didn't come home when I said I was going to come home. But my boss needed me to stay later cuz of that really made him angry and everything. You guys I actually came out and I told him I had to tell you guys to go away cuz he was like he had a gun on me. He was like, "You better open it." They can't make it to you fast enough. I was like, "Okay." Yeah. Unloaded the gun um and pressed it to my head and you know, pulled the trigger and everything. >> Did he say anything of when he was doing that or >> He was like, "Are you ready to die?" And then he pulled the trigger and everything. So >> Oh god. >> [music] >> All right. Are you able to carry guns on you? Have guns? >> have any guns. >> Okay. So why were there two guns next to you? >> Uh I don't have any guns. That's her place. I don't have guns there. >> So those aren't your guns? >> No. >> So if we have fingerprints on them >> No. Not on >> You won't have them on you even though they're right next to you. >> Not mine. >> So you're saying that she owns the guns? >> I have no idea. She's my friend. I've known her for a little while and I don't know. Uh like her whole house has stuff everywhere. >> So if you're from California, right? What brings you up here? You said that there was a friend. >> She's my friend. >> She's your friend. >> Uh well, like I mean, yeah, we sleep together and stuff, but yeah, she's my No. >> No. Just No. So you're >> Yeah. You used to be a Like, wow, man. Yeah. >> How How long ago? >> A couple months ago. >> You broke up? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Are you still living together? >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> No, not living together. >> No. >> Mhm. >> I don't live with her. >> Okay, so why why are you in the house at this time then? >> I was sleeping. >> Sleeping, so if you sleep somewhere >> She works from like 4:00 4:30 >> Do you live there now? >> No. I can sleep where I don't live. >> You said you had broken up for 2 months though. >> I've been with her. I've known her since probably September October, maybe. >> Last year? >> No, after her birthday. Yeah. So, like December, I think. Yeah. >> Last year or >> Yeah, last year. And then Yeah, but I haven't lived here since then. I've lived in Callaway. I was actually in jail. >> So What were you in jail for? >> Uh probation violation. >> What's the probation for? >> Can I pee? >> What's the probation for? What is the probation for? >> It doesn't matter. I got to pee. >> Okay, well, I guess that doesn't matter then. >> Okay. So, I'm being cool with you, but you can't be cool with me. That's fine. >> Why [music] didn't you tell me until till after we got downstairs? Why didn't you tell when you were I was next to the bathroom? >> Cuz I didn't have to pee till now. >> Okay, well, you obviously didn't have to go that bad. >> Yes, I do. I really do. >> Come on, man. >> I'm going to Are you going to jerk me? I'm not even going to jerk you. I don't understand that. >> All right, well, I'm going to search you one more time. >> Yeah. You didn't even get all the way in my pocket or nothing. >> There's something right there. >> It's a seatbelt. Can I get my wallet and my phone? >> I'll talk tell my sergeant. >> Anthony Peterson, 39 from Lakeville, Minnesota, was arrested that morning on four charges: felony unlawful possession of a firearm, felonious restraint, [music] terrorizing with a dangerous weapon, and possession of stolen property. The gun beside him on the couch was never his to have. He was legally barred from possessing a firearm at all, and the weapon turned out to be stolen. What the body cam can't show you is how familiar this pattern already was. Court records out of Minnesota show Peterson carried a string of convictions going back roughly two decades. Among them, domestic assault, stalking, and violating a protective order on three separate occasions. This wasn't a man who had [music] never been told to stay away from someone. He'd been told, repeatedly, by the courts. And the woman who texted her boss that morning was living inside the result of how little those orders ever changed. In North Dakota, both felonious restraint and terrorizing with a dangerous weapon are felonies that can each carry years behind bars. But if you've watched enough of these, you know the sentence isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is the quiet before it. The days when no one outside that apartment knew. She didn't get out by overpowering anyone. She got out by waiting until he was asleep and sending one careful message to the one person [music] who'd notice she was gone. Which brings us back to the man on the couch. The yes, sir. The what did I do? The polite request to use the restroom. Here's the behavioral truth this footage leaves you with. Composure is not the same thing as innocence. [music] And the people who stay calmest in front of a camera are sometimes the ones who've had the most practice controlling a room. She got out because she managed to send a single [music] text while he slept. If she hadn't, how long do you think this would have gone on? Tell me in the comments. If this is the kind of breakdown you want more of, you know what to do. I'll see you on the next case.