(Full video of incident below)
An LAPD officer is being investigated following an incident aboard the local rail line Monday afternoon, when several witnesses with camera phones filmed the sergeant pulling a young woman off the train Monday afternoon.
The incident began when the LAPD Sergeant instructed 18-year-old Bethany Renee Nava to take her foot off of a seat. When she refused to comply, Nava was removed from the train, despite putting up quite a struggle.
“I already told you what to do and you didn’t,” the Sergeant said. “You disobeyed me. You’re getting off the train.”
Nava then grabbed the pole, claiming that she didn’t have to disembark because she had already paid to be on the train.
“Stop!” she shouted, resisting with every step. “I paid to be on this train, a**hole.”
As she struggled to stay in the train, the Sergeant pulled her once again, this time securing her against a wall. Calling for backup, the Sergeant was then confronted by passenger Brock Bryan, who had filmed the nearly 11-minute long video.
As people loudly proclaimed that they were filming the incident, the Sergeant then reiterated that Nava had repeatedly been non-compliant and disrespectful. Nava, of course, was not hearing this, bawling in shock as she struggled to compute the consequences for her actions.
Eventually, Nava came to, snatching her bag as bystanders began berating the Sergeant, who was still waiting for backup.
“You’re a f*cking scumbag,” the female witness said as she began to close distance with the Sergeant.
“This is not [expletive] fair that you took me off the train because I had my foot there because I was comfortable like that,” Nava said. “There is no law that tells me that I cannot sit that way because I paid to be in there.”
“It’s the rules of the train,” the veteran officer told her.
Waiting for backup, the Sergeant put up with abuse and threatening behavior from the female witness until other officers arrived, after which time he ordered both to be taken into custody.
“This is racism!” the female witness shouted. “This is what we are! 2018, motherf*ckers like this just act like they can do whatever the f*ck they want. F*ck you guys.”
The female witness then became an assailant after spitting on the Sergeant, which is considered a form of assault.
LA’s metro policy explicitly states that placing one’s foot off the seat is a violation, and failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in being removed from the train.
Meanwhile, Brock Bryan wasted no time posting the video to social media, which has since received over 36,000 reactions and over 142,206 shares.
Following complaints filed against the Sergeant, LAPD Deputy Chief Bob Green informed the LA Times that an investigation has been initiated, looking into whether or not excessive force was used.
Full Video:
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