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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A video posted to Facebook shows a physical confrontation between a woman and a Winston-Salem police officer.
The video was recorded by Da'ton Edwards and shows 24-year-old TeKara Williams, who says she was pulled over for driving 51 mph in a 35 mph zone.
In the video, you can hear the officer, identified by police as Officer J.C. Carter, saying she is being uncooperative.
Williams says the officer asked for the keys to the car she was driving, which she said belonged to her grandfather. Williams refused to give the officer the keys.
“He asked for them and I told him no, and told him why, because it’s my grandfather’s car,” Williams told FOX8.
Williams is taken to the ground off-camera, while her two children were in the back of the car. Williams is then put in handcuffs.
“He was like, ‘give me your other arm,’ and I told him no, and he was like, ‘OK,’ and that’s when he slung me to the ground,” she said.
It remains uncertain what happened before Edwards started recording the video.
“Had he explained to me like, ‘this is why I’m doing this Miss Williams,’ I would have been more compliant, but you were just doing it,” Williams explained. “So, it was alarming, I acted as any other human being, on the defense like, ‘hold on, wait, let’s talk this out, let me see what’s going on.’”
Police said it happened at about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday on Motor Road near Old Walkertown Road.
Williams has been charged with resist, delay or obstruct an officer. She says she is seeking legal counsel.
Williams also faces charges of speeding (51 in a 35), driving with a license revoked, displaying a revoked registration plate, driving without insurance and failure to notify the DMV of an address change.
Police said Williams received minor injuries, but refused medical treatment. She was placed in the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center under $1,000 secured bond and was immediately released to a relative.
Winston-Salem police released a statement about the incident, which reads in part:
Although the social media video only shows a portion of the encounter midway through the incident, upon his initial approach Officer Carter introduces himself to Ms. Williams by name and told her why she was being stopped. As Officer Carter told Ms. Williams of the license plate “pick up order” and attempted to have her turn off the vehicle and hand him her keys, Ms. Williams became confrontational. Officer Carter gave Ms. Williams numerous opportunities to comply with his directives, which she refused. As Officer Carter was attempting to place Ms. Williams under custodial arrest he was met with physical resistance from her.
“I’m not scared of cops or anything, and I’ll try to like, you know, let my daughter know they’re here to protect and serve, but they do have jobs and protocols that they have to follow as well, they just should go about it in a different way,” Williams added.
Ed McNeal, City of Winston-Salem Marketing and Communications Director, says the police chief and staff have reviewed the video posted on Facebook, as well as the body camera video from the officer and they're still investigating.
City Manager Lee Garrity has also seen the video posted to Facebook, according to McNeal.
Mayor Allen Joines has seen the video posted to Facebook, but says he is prohibited by law from viewing the body camera video. Joines says he may release a statement at a later time, but wants to give the police department a chance to investigate the incident.
"We are anxious to get all the facts out to the public as soon as possible," Joines said.