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Sulphur Springs Police Department released bodycam footage on Monday night in response to claims on social media alleging the use of excessive force during a June 6th arrest.
SSPD arrested Lakia Booker for Driving While License Invalid on Saturday evening after she was wrecked her car near Pacific Park.
On Monday afternoon several social media posts claimed that Booker was a victim of excessive force during the arrest. These included claims that an officer had broken Booker’s nose and pictures of injuries to Booker’s face.
The posts quickly spread receiving at least 500 shares before SSPD released the body cam footage. The claims led some online to begin organizing a protest at the Sulphur Springs Police Station on Tuesday.
The bodycam footage shows Booker to already be injured when police arrived on the scene of her crash. In the video, she tells EMS that she had been in an altercation earlier.
SSPD said in a statement with the released footage, “There is misinformation being spread on social media in reference to a subject that claims excessive use of force was used during her arrest by a Sulphur Springs Police Officer. We are posting this body cam video to present the facts of the Sulphur Springs Police Departments encounter with the subject. The video has been edited to protect personal identifying information of the persons depicted in the video.”
The posts claiming excessive force were deleted shortly after SSPD released the body cam footage.