05 July 2023 , 19:07
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Shocking video footage has surfaced, capturing the disturbing moment when a Black woman with cancer was forcefully thrown to the ground and pepper sprayed by police outside a grocery store.
The unnamed woman, along with a man, was being apprehended by Los Angeles police officers outside a WinCo store on suspicion of shoplifting.
As the woman attempted to record the arrest on her phone, she claims she was met with aggression from the officers, during the incident on June 24.
The video begins with the suspect questioning her arrest, saying, "Why am I under arrest ... for what?"
In response, one of the officers asserts that she is not under arrest but merely being detained.
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An unnamed Black woman and a man were being apprehended outside a WinCo store in Lancaster, California, over allegations of shoplifting (LASD)The man accompanying her also becomes frustrated, asking why he is being detained and is instructed to "calm down" by a different deputy.
The officers then proceed to handcuff the man before turning their attention to the woman, who defiantly pushes them away while exclaiming, "No, you can't touch me!"
The deputies swiftly respond by throwing her to the ground, commanding her to "Get down on the ground!" Amid the commotion, the woman declares that her recording is already streaming live on YouTube.
The woman attempted to record the arrest on her phone, leading to a confrontation with the officers. (LASD)In a heated exchange, the deputy threatens to punch her in the face, to which she retorts, "You punch me, you're going to get sued."
Ignoring her plea, the deputy proceeds to pepper spray her.
The woman claims she cannot breathe and accuses the deputy of placing his knee on her neck.
A bystander is heard on the video claiming that the woman has cancer and asked them not to 'slam her down like that.'
The incident, which happened in Lancaster, a city located approximately 73 miles north of Los Angeles, has raised questions over whether the police officers' use of force.
The Los Angeles County sheriff's department released a statement confirming that the deputies involved in the incident have been reassigned and are "awaiting further administrative review".
The department emphasized its commitment to treating all members of the public with dignity and respect, asserting that personnel who fail to uphold these standards will be held accountable.
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In response to the incident, the deputies have hired attorney Tom Yu, who contests the characterization of the incident as 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."
A protest is scheduled to take place outside the WinCo store on Wednesday, demanding accountability for the deputies involved in the incident.