New Jersey police have released bodycam footage in the violent arrest of a 20-year-old woman accused of underage drinking on a beach in Wildwood over Memorial Day weekend.
That nine-minute clip, released late Wednesday, shows the officer's perspective during the confrontation—which garnered national attention after a video shared on Twitter showed cops repeatedly punching and choking the young woman. She's since be identified as Emily Weinman, and now faces a slew of charges, including two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, spitting bodily fluids at a police officer, and resisting arrest.
The newly-released 9-minute clip begins with cops administering a breathalyzer to Weinman, which she appears to pass. After an officer asks for her last name, she becomes angry, telling him, "I didn't do anything to get written up, did I? You can't lock me up. I didn't disrespect you."
The officer then tells the woman that she's "causing a scene," and offers her one more chance to provide her last name. "Okay, that's it, I'm done with you," he soon informs Weinman, while requesting handcuffs from one of the other nearby cops. "You're about to get dropped."
The footage then shows Weinman backing away from the officer, before he tosses her to the ground by her hair. The two wrestle on the ground, as she repeatedly shouts "get the fuck off me" and "I didn't do anything."
At one point, once she's already on the ground, the cop again declares "that's it," and begins pummeling her on the top of the head.
"You're not allowed to beat me like that," she cries, then spits in the direction of the arresting officer. She's escorted to a police vehicle soon after, as onlookers criticize the "rent-a-cops" for the aggressive arrest (the officers are classified as "seasonal special officers.")
Both parties say the video supports their side. Stephen Dicht, Weinman's lawyer, told NJ.com that the footage "shows the police overreacted and used excessive force," and reiterated his prior statement that the officers hadn't received proper training in the use of force.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Robert Regalbuto told the newspaper: "From what I see on the video and only on the video, from not even talking to the officers, I think they did a decent job. I think we could have done a better job at trying to explain to her, but it didn't appear Ms. Weinman wanted to hear what we had to say. She tried to tell us it was okay for her to possess alcohol and that doesn't make any sense."
The county prosecutors office is continuing its investigation into the incident, Regalbuto added.
At least two of the three officers involved were reassigned to desk duty earlier this week. Their names are Thomas Cannon, John Hillman and Robert Jordan, though it's unclear which officer hit Weinman.
