A motorist driving in his car used a cell phone camera to video record a California Highway Patrolman (CHP) charging after a woman walking across a highway divider. The video shows the officer wrestling the woman to the ground and laying at least nine vicious punches to her head and upper torso.
The video, released by NBC Los Angeles, further shows another man running to the scene who looks to be helping the officer subdue the woman. The woman is seen trying to block the punches of the officer, but she doesn’t appear to have struck back at him. There is no indication in the video of what prompted the CHP to initiate the physical attack on the woman.
KTLA5 reported that the incident occurred on the CA 10 freeway in Los Angeles near La Brea Ave. on Tuesday. David Diaz, who took the video and posted it on YouTube, thought that the officer was using excessive force: “He basically got on top of her… it’s basically a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) ground-and-pound move… full force, punching her in the head.” He added, “There is no way you can justify that.”
Sgt. Denise Joslin, a spokesman for the CHP, said, “The California Highway Patrol is aware of the video and we are looking into the incident. As a matter of policy, every time there is a use of force by our officers, there is a review conducted to determine whether the use of force was appropriate.”