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0:00 - Cell phone video
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A woman is currently recovering while one Ohio police officer has been placed on leave for mishandling her during an arrest.
According to NBC News, the incident happened Monday afternoon. Butler Township police Sgt. Todd Stanley and officer Tim Zellers were called to a McDonald’s following a call about a disturbance. Staff wanted the victim, Latinka Hancock, “be formally trespassed from the property” after she allegedly got into a dispute with an employee.
Chief John Porter explained at a news conference that officers repeatedly asked Hancock to identify herself, which he said is a requirement when officers need to issue a trespass notice. He claims she refused and that’s when officers attempted to place her under arrest. However, during the arrest, Sgt. Stanley punched her in the face! Police body camera footage even shows the wild moments.
In the footage, Hancock explained that her order was wrong. She said she paid to have extra cheese on her burger, but the sandwich did not include it. Stanley said that because of the dispute, he needed to issue a trespass notice and asked Hancock for her information, but she allegedly refused to give it to him.
“You’re going to make it more difficult than it has to be,” the sergeant said, according to the footage. In response, Hancock said, “If you arrest me, I promise you’re going to have a problem.”
Following a shouting match, Zellers told her she was under arrest. The bodycam showed Stanley hitting Hancock in the face following a brief struggle. She was later arrested and charged with resisting arrest and failure to identify, police said. In addition to that, she also received citations for driving under suspension and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, per the outlet.
As a result of the incident, Hancock was left with multiple injuries including a busted lip, loose teeth, a closed head injury, as well as a back injury, attorney Michael Wright said about his client.
“This is an incredibly sad day when Ms. Latinka Hancock’s life has been upended over a piece of cheese,” he said. Wright has since for Stanley’s firing and said the sergeant should be charged with assault.
Stanley has been placed on paid administrative leave while the police department completes an investigation. As for Zellers, he has not been placed on leave.