MONTREAL - Five cops had their hands full Wednesday as dozens witnessed their struggle to arrest a juggler at Place Jacques Cartier.

The clash took place Wednesday evening at 8:30 p.m. and was recorded in its entirety by an onlooker and posted on YouTube.

The juggler, identified as Stephen Moore, is seen attempting to flee the police and then manages to lift one male officer up and take several steps forward with him in his arms before being swarmed and brought down and handcuffed by three officers.

Buskers require a city license to ply their craft in the square, which sits between City Hall and the Old Port and is a popular people-watching shot where tourists to mingle, watch performers and get their portraits done.

The juggler apparently declined requests to show identification and his performer's license.

According to other buskers, some performers have been reluctant to agree to the terms of the license and have been performing without the document. It's unclear whether Moore event possesses the required credentials.

Police report that two other performers were also performing without a license that evening and they simply stopped their shows and left when approached.

Another busker said that the police might have considered approaching the situation in a more relaxed manner.

“He was in the middle of a show, maybe let him finish and then talk to him, that would be a better way to do it,” said Yenny San Juan.

Moore's public juggling career is up in the air after being tossed into jail for a night. He is facing three charges, including disturbing the peace and assaulting an officer, who is said to have suffered an injured leg in the incident.

The identity of the person who videotaped the scene remains unclear but he was apparently not traumatized by the fight, as his only comment he wrote to descirbe the incident was, "haha."