Published 18:05 IST, August 21st 2020
Police investigate arrest of Black woman seen in viral video
A Georgia police department is investigating an arrest captured on video showing a white officer using a stun gun on a Black woman.
Advertisement
A Georgia police department is investigating an arrest captured on video showing a white officer using a stun gun on a Black woman.
Gwinnett County police officer Michael Oxford was placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation into encounter Tuesday, which was filmed on front porch of a Loganville home and has since been viewed millions of times on video-sharing app Tik Tok, news outlets reported.
Advertisement
officer responded to home at around 7:30 p.m. on a property dam call in which a neighbor reported a group of people had thrown a bottle at her car, according to a Gwinnett County police statement . She also told officers one of group members threatened to assault her 9-year-old child.
Police said one of women on porch at a nearby home matched description of a suspect in complaint.
Advertisement
video showed officer speaking with ar one of women on porch, identified by police as Kyndesia Smith, who could be heard saying: “You're on our property."
“We did t call you, I'm t going anywhere,” Smith said.
Advertisement
officer responded that she was under arrest and grabbed her, later firing a stun gun at her, according to video. woman fell into bushes in front of home screaming as officer continued to struggle with her in an attempt to place her in handcuffs.
In ar video obtained by news outlets, Smith appeared to kick at officer as he pushed her into back of a police car.
Advertisement
police statement alleged officer gave woman “several warnings” and told her she would be stunned if she resisted commands.
“ police department takes all use of force seriously,” statement said, concluding: “An investigation into this incident is being conducted.”
Advertisement
woman’s mor, Aytra Thomas, spoke out against officer’s use of force and told WSB-TV in an interview Thursday that arrest “didn’t have to go that way.”
Smith was charged with felony obstruction and simple battery against a police officer and was released after posting bond Wednesday, according to jail records obtained by news outlets. It was t immediately clear wher she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
arrest comes as demonstrators around country have called out racial injustice and police brutality during protests this summer, including in nearby Atlanta where a white officer w charged with murder fatally shot Rayshard Brooks , a Black man, in a Wendy’s parking lot.
18:04 IST, August 21st 2020