A police officer on highway patrol duties has been caught in a brawl with some civilians allegedly over a rat carcass.

It is alleged the policeman, known popularly as 'Abodwese', attempted to take the carcass from the band of young men who were returning from hunting activities at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.

But the young men resisted, resulting in the confrontation.

An eyewitness, Nana Sarpong, who narrated the incident to Luv News, explained that when the young men refused to hand over the dead animal to the officer, he fired a warning shot.

"After firing warning shots, the officer used the butt of the gun to hit one of the men," he claimed.

A video obtained by Luv News shows one of the men holding the officer by the neck as others tag along.

Two other police officers are heard telling the men to stop the struggle.

They intervened by taking the rifle from their colleague officer.

But the officer continued to be held by his uniform as his colleagues walked away.

The young men have since been arrested by police.

Luv News sources say police at Effiduase have commenced investigations into the matter.