Police are investigating the alleged assault of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police captain by a 16-year-old who claims the fight happened after he caught the officer putting dog feces in a friend's mailbox.

Police said Capt. Charles Adkins, who was off duty at the time of the incident, is on sick leave as a result of the injuries he suffered in the assault.

Police said their Internal Affairs Division is reviewing Adkins' actions leading up to the altercation. Internal affairs routinely investigates claims of misconduct by officers.

Adkins is a 20-year department veteran and former commander of Internal Affairs who is assigned to the Watch Commanders Office. He declined to comment Saturday.

Jamel Maleek Williams told Observer news partner WCNC-TV that he looked out a window Wednesday in a northeast Charlotte neighborhood and saw Adkins putting dog feces in his friend's mailbox.

Williams told WCNC-TV that he and his 18-year-old friend confronted Adkins. Williams said he believes Adkins blames him and his friend for recent crimes in the neighborhood.

During the confrontation, Williams said, he decided to follow Adkins home and call the police. That's apparently when a fight broke out.

Arrest records show that the 6-foot-1, 240-pound teen was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges Wednesday and released from jail the next day.

Williams was arrested last month and charged with felony breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods, records show. His friend, who apparently wasn't charged in connection with the assault, has been arrested several times in Mecklenburg County, including twice this month.