The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is coming under fire after released cell phone footage shows them manhandling a seventy-six year old black woman from her seat in a train station. Although there is no evidence of the woman’s race being a factor, the microscope has been extremely focused on the police over the last few years regarding the differences in how they approach whites and other races. The woman’s friend, who identifies herself only as “Tina,” captured the incident and released it to CBS Los Angeles.
The woman in the video was sitting in the “Reserved” section of the train station, as she frequently does without being bothered. When the officers approached her and asked her to leave, she showed them a card she received from a Metro officer which she claims allows her to sit in the section. The officers disagreed, the woman was arrested, and a frightening episode took place.
The woman is too frail to stand up, asks the officers to allow her to have her cane, and the following exchange occurs:
“Woman: Give me my cane.
Officer: I will give you your cane once you stand up.
Woman: No, give me my cane so I can stand up.”
As the woman continues to ask for help, the officer violently pushes her head down.
You can hear her screaming and yelling “Stop, stop!” The officer reportedly slammed her head into the wooden armrest. Tina, the woman who recorded the incident, had this to say about this despicable overreaction:
“It did not need to escalate to that point. It was past excessive in my opinion. She, I’m sure, weighs no more than 95 pounds wet. I was really shocked and traumatized witnessing this.”
The woman was released from jail, and may still face charges for obstructing an officer. All because she asked for her cane to help her stand up. The sheriff’s department is reviewing all evidence, including the video, to see whether reasonable force was used.
You can watch for yourself below – it seems fairly clear:
Featured Image via YouTube screengrab.
