The woman seen getting punched by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers in a now-viral video spoke out for the first time since the incident. Her account of the incident starkly contrasts that of the department.
What The Cops Say
The CMPD released a statement detailing the events of the arrest, claiming Christina Pierre and her fiancé, Tony Lee, were being arrested for smoking marijuana in public. The cops allege Pierre resisted arrest by punching the responding officer and then hiding her hands underneath her body when she was tackled to the ground. The cops made note of the amount of times she was struck in the leg, explaining that it was the officer’s way of gaining compliance. However, they didn’t say anything until recently about how she ended up with bruises on her face.
What Pierre Says
Pierre and her attorney, Lauren Newton, gave a different account to Channel 9 of what happened last week during the arrest. Newton told reporters her client and Lee were smoking a legal substance bought from a local smoke shop when they were approached by the police. Despite Pierre communicating they weren’t doing anything illegal, she claims the officer escalated the situation when he tried to place them under arrest without telling them why.
After privately viewing the body camera footage, Newton said the punches Pierre received while pinned to the ground by at least five officers were after she already complied.
“We didn’t learn much more than what [CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings] has already told us, except it is clear that she was already down on the ground and her hands were behind her back when at least 10 of those blows were delivered,” Newton said via WSOC-TV.
What The Witnesses Say
According to witness statement given to Channel 9, Pierre was punched in the face several times by one officer — which the cops claim was after she hit them. However, one woman who witnessed the incident told CNN she never saw Pierre raise her hand to hit the officers but instead to show them the cigarette she was smoking. The woman recalled hearing Pierre ask repeatedly why the officer was arresting them before watching the officer wind up a punch to her face.
What Now?
A hearing has been set for Nov. 30 to release the body camera footage to the public, CNN reports. The couple was charged with simple possession of marijuana and resisting officers, with Pierre receiving an additional charge of assaulting a government official. Both were released on a $2,000 unsecured bond.
The department finally acknowledged that one of the cops hit Pierre in the face, but that officer remains on duty. The cop seen in the video punching her leg has been identified as Vincent Pistone, who was reassigned to another division in the department temporarily, CNN reports.
“I have never been through anything like this. But for anybody who is going through any type of mistreatment from those who are supposed to serve and protect us, we are going to fight to make sure all of this gets justice and it’s right for all of us,” Pierre said to Channel 9.