Two Ohio police officers are under investigation after a witness filmed a cop viciously punch a Black woman in the face while making an arrest.
The video came to light on Tuesday, when local news outlet Dayton 24/7 shared footage on Facebook from a bystander showing a Butler Township officer repeatedly punching the woman.
In the clip, two police officers can be seen standing in front of their police cruiser in a parking lot while moving to restrain the woman, identified by her attorney’s office as Latinka Hancock.
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At the beginning of the footage, which has no sound, Hancock can be seen speaking to the officers as she tries to push them away. A cop on the left, identified by Butler Township Chief of Police John Porter as Tim Zellers, appears to be pointing a stun gun in his right hand at Hancock. Meanwhile, an officer to the right, identified as Sergeant Todd Stanley, holds her arm and shoulder.
At one point, Hancock appears to wave her hands around, and Stanley punches her in the face multiple times until Hancock falls back on the hood of the cruiser. The officers then hold Hancock against the car as Zellers handcuffs her.
During a press conference Wednesday, Porter said Stanley has been placed on paid administrative leave while the department conducts an investigation, in part because the department has received so much hate mail and messages regarding the incident. He also noted that “some of [Stanley’s] days off” are part of the leave.
“The administrative investigation will include interviews and statements from any and all possible witnesses, including any other officers that were involved,” he said. “If improper conduct is found as a result of the investigation, the findings will include a recommendation for disciplinary action.”
He explained that officers are trained to use force “for personal protection,” and he showed a diagram of acceptable police responses to civilians.
However, he said he would not comment on the appropriateness of the police officers’ actions until the entire investigation is complete.
On Tuesday, police said they would provide footage from the officers’ bodycams to the public “after departmental review.”
Ryan Julison, the media contact for Hancock’s attorney, told The Daily Beast in a written statement that the incident happened after Hancock received an incorrect order from McDonald’s. Julison wrote that Hancock tried to rectify the issue with restaurant employees, who ended up calling the police on her.
“According to her attorney...as Hancock was leaving the restaurant, Butler Township police officers confronted her and during the incident she was punched repeatedly in the head, sending her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a head injury,” Julison wrote.
Porter said officers were responding to a criminal trespassing complaint from the restaurant at the time Hancock was arrested. He said the officers initially tried to calm her down.
“Certain incidents you cannot de-escalate,” Porter said during Wednesday’s press conference.
Ultimately, Hancock was charged with failure to provide identification and with resisting arrest, local outlet WHIO-TV reported.
Following Porter’s presser, attorney Michael Wright spoke to the media on Hancock’s behalf, calling it “an incredibly sad day when [my client’s] life has been upended over a piece of cheese.”
“This incident never should have occurred in the first place,” Wright said, in footage obtained by WDTN-TV Dayton. “McDonald’s should be ashamed in resorting to calling the police over a disagreement for an order they got wrong. If they can’t manage basic customer service and now opting to potentially put a person’s life in jeopardy over a mishandled Big Mac, it doesn’t seem safe for Black people to go and eat at McDonald’s anymore.”
“Sgt. Stanley deserves to be fired and charged with assault with his outrageous overreaction,” Wright continued. “The way he handled Ms. Hancock was despicable. He wasn’t humane to her. Punching her in the face is absolutely ridiculous.”
Rather than trying to de-escalate the situation, he claimed the officers were “looking for a fight.”
“These officers, and especially Stanley, doesn’t belong on the force,” Wright said. “He belongs behind bars.”
The bystander’s video of the rough arrest quickly gained traction this week on social media, where critics blasted the cops’ behavior.
“Has this officer been arrested yet?” a community member commented on Facebook. “NO BADGE MAKES YOU ABOVE THE LAW! …NOTHING will make this behavior acceptable or LEGAL. Butler Twp residents cannot feel safe with this abusive monster on the payroll.”
“This lady is clearly [un]able to move whatsoever she clearly points at her shoe so she can put it on,” another Facebook user wrote. “They have both of her hands and the officer punched her for no reason. … I am SO SICK of these certain racist white cops thinking they can do whatever the hell they want!”
“The video speaks volumes‼️ This is gross abuse of power! Truly disgraceful!” someone posted under the Facebook video.
Others social media users placed blame on Hancock, saying she was resisting arrest.
“Funny that so many are jumping to conclusions that what he did was wrong without the full facts,” said former law officer and Dayton small business owner Joshua Arms. “Can you see what she was doing with her hands? Did she grab for his taser or weapon? If so, it was justified. Until the body cams and other available footage is available, we won’t know, as this view doesn’t show everything. So, for all the back seat police officers and Monday morning quarterbacks, calm yourselves down for a bit.”
