A North Carolina-based police officer captured on camera striking a woman more than a dozen times has been given a 40-hour suspension, officials said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings made the announcement on Tuesday regarding the Nov. 13 incident. Bystander video shows multiple officers surrounding the woman, a Bojangles employee later identified as Christina Pierre, who authorities alleged was resisting arrest. One of the officers appeared to hit her repeatedly while people in the area urged him to stop. The video caused massive outrage on social media.
The disciplinary action against Officer Vincent Pistone resulted from a CMPD internal affairs investigation. The other cops involved were cleared of wrongdoing in this case.
“The Internal Affairs hearing on the seven officers involved has concluded and ruled that six officers were exonerated [justified] and one officer was sustained [not justified],” Jennings said in a statement. “Fourteen strikes to the female’s leg came after her hands were behind her back. These strikes were not deemed justified. If the officer made an assessment after three leg strikes, he would have seen that they were effective, and the female’s hands were behind her back.”
[1:36 PM] Ardrey Taylor (Guest)The department also released a nine-minute video from police street and bystander footage. During the incident, two officers noticed Pierre and a male subject, Anthony Lee, sitting at a bus stop, allegedly smoking marijuana after work, police said.
The cops then approached the duo and were told they purchased it from a smoke shop. They attempted to arrest Lee, claiming that Pierre tried to “interfere,” adding that both were uncooperative.
“What are you doing,” Pierre said while an officer pushed her to the side. The body camera of the officer, who is also trying to detain the woman, falls to the ground but is facing upward.
In the video breakdown, police alleged that Pierre repeatedly assaulted the officer first while resisting arrest, adding that the officer struck her in the face in response to her actions.
“Why are you touching me? I just got off of work. Why are you touching me? Stop,” Pierre screamed as she was tussling with the officer. It shows a slow motion of what appears to be the woman hitting the officer before he reacts. Other officers then arrived at the scene.
Three angles of body camera footage show the backup officers running toward the area, ordering Lee to stop resisting and handcuffing him. When officers approached Pierre, police said that her hands were under her stomach while lying down, and they tried to put them behind her back.
Officer Pistone “delivered seven knee strikes to Ms. Pierre’s right leg, following ten fist strikes to Ms. Pierre’s right leg,” police said.
Lee, who police said had a handgun in his bag, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Pierre was charged with assault on a government official. Both were charged with resisting a public officer and possession of marijuana.
The DA dismissed the charges against them, WSOC-TV reported, and they plan to take legal action against the department next year.
“From the time that they pulled up on Arrowood Road at the Bojangles, I think that could’ve been done differently,” councilmember Tiawana Brown told the outlet. “Things could’ve been done differently. Things escalated really, really fast, and it was difficult for me to watch.”
