Toledo Police release bodycam of what led up to officer’s controversial arrest of teen girl
By: -----
Toledo, OH - The Toledo Police Department released body camera footage on Tuesday showing the interaction between an officer and a teenage girl that sparked community outrage and calls for investigations.
Cellphone footage that circulated on social media over the weekend showed an officer pushing a 15-year-old girl to the ground while arresting her.
The newly-released footage shows police officers stopping a group of teens for walking in the street. An officer moved to grab the girl at the center of the interaction after she didn’t answer police requests for names and birthdates.
The teen allegedly spit on the officer during her arrest. She was charged with resisting, obstruction and harassment with a bodily substance - charges she denied in court on Monday.
The interaction with the teen resulted in the officer being reassigned, calls for a thorough investigation into the matter and changes to police training.
Toledo Police had previously released a statement on the matter, saying in part:
“We understand the concern this type of footage can generate in the community, especially when it involves a young person,” a statement from Toledo Police read. “We remind the public that videos circulating online may show only part of an incident and not the full context of the interaction.”