A video capturing a police officer throwing a woman to the ground and pepper spraying her face in Los Angeles, California has recently gone viral on social media. In response, an investigation has been initiated into the incident, and the officers involved have been removed from field duty, as confirmed by the county sheriff’s department.
The video indicates that the incident occurred outside the WinCo grocery store on W Ave K 4 on June 24.
According to the department’s statement, at the time, the deputies were apprehending a man and a woman who were accused of shoplifting inside the store. In the bodycam footage, the man can be heard asking, “Why am I under arrest … for what?” The deputy responded, “You are not under arrest, you are being detained.”
The man, seemingly frustrated, asked, “Detained for what?” Another deputy told him to “Calm down!”
Once the deputies handcuffed the man, they approached the woman who was recording the incident on her phone. She protested, “No, you can’t touch me!” as the deputies attempted to grab her arm.
The deputy commanded, “Stop. Stop!” and the woman can be heard screaming when she is thrown to the ground.
The deputy yelled, “Get down on the ground!” to which the woman replied, “It’s already on YouTube live!” As the struggle continued, the deputy warned, “Stop it or I’ll punch you in the face.” The woman responded, “You punch me, you’re going to get sued.”
Eventually, the woman was pepper-sprayed, and she further alleged that the deputy placed his knee on her neck, stating, “I cannot breathe.”
In another video that surfaced online, seemingly filmed by a bystander, the man being arrested can be heard saying, “Don’t slam her down like that.” He also claimed that the woman had cancer.
According to ABC7 reports, the attorney representing the deputies, Tom Yu, justified the use of force by stating that the woman did not cooperate. He stated, “There’s a narrative of saying, ‘The deputies struck her down because she was recording.’ She’s not an innocent bystander. She’s involved. She’s detained in this robbery investigation.”
Following the incident, the department issued a statement confirming the initiation of an investigation. While the department refrained from making statements regarding ongoing investigations, Sheriff Luna emphasized the expectation for personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect. Those who fail to uphold training standards will be held accountable. To maintain transparency with the community, the department released the body-worn camera footage of the incident.
watch the video here : https://twitter.com/i/status/1676376805542854658
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