Disturbing video footage purports to show a Black woman diagnosed with cancer forcibly thrown to the ground and pepper sprayed by Los Angeles police outside a grocery store.
The woman – whose name has been unidentified – was accused of shoplifting at a WinCo store and was being apprehended when the incident took place.
When the woman took out her cellphone to record the arrest, she says the officers got aggressive.
In the video, the woman is heard stating “Why am I under arrest … for what?”
One officer then states that she is not under arrest but is being detained.
A man who was with the woman then proceeds to ask why he also was being detained to which an officer tells him to “calm down.”
The law personnel then proceed to handcuff the man while the woman pushes them away.
“No, you can’t touch me!” she exclaimed.
The officers then proceed to throw her to the ground, ordering her to “Get down on the ground!”
She then states that they are currently being recorded and the incident is being live streamed on YouTube.
One officer then threatens to punch her in the face.
“You punch me, you’re going to get sued,” the woman retorts. She is then pepper sprayed.
The woman then states she cannot breathe and alleges that the officer has placed his knee on her neck.
A witness at the scene of the incident then claims that the woman has cancer and not to “slam her down like that.”
Following the incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement confirming that the officers involved in the incident have been reassigned and are “awaiting further administrative review.”
The department further added that they are committed to treating all community members with dignity and respect, adding that officers who fail to meet these standards will be held accountable.
Tom Yu, a licensed attorney, has been assigned to the case and states the incident is an act of police brutality.
“There’s a narrative of saying, ‘The deputies struck her down because she was recording,” Yu told ABC7. “She’s not an innocent bystander. She’s involved. She’s detained in this robbery investigation.”
