Cop slams girl, reports say.
Off-duty Des Moines Police Sergeant Gregg Wessels stands watch outside DART Central Station, 620 Cherry Street, Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 3:09 PM. Credit: All Iowa Media/Dan Robbins.
KCCI has reported a police officer appearing to slam a teenage girl to the pavement outside DART Central Station. Des Moines students routinely ride DART busses to and from school, and large numbers of them typically debark or transfer at Central Station after school. The Des Moines Police Department's Public Information Officer, Paul Parizek, told KCCI, "One of the problems that we see with a lot of these issues is that people stand around. They stand around and they want to watch or record them." Part of the incident was caught on cellphone video by an observer.
"Get her outta here" can be heard as the video begins, an order apparently shouted by a police officer. A person in red pants was seen interacting with the officer, gesturing with his right hand, to which the officer shoved him and screamed, "Don't touch me!" The girl who was body slammed responded to that shove by turning around and yelling at the officer, "what the fuck is wrong with you?" "Get off the property!" the officer commanded. She pulled away when he reached for her wrist. His response was swift and violent. In the next five seconds the officer had thrown her to the ground and put a knee on her back. As the group began ascending on the physical altercation the person in red pants worked to hold off the crowd.
People failing or refusing to leave the vicinity of a disorderly or unlawful assembly, or riot, when ordered to do so by police are violating city ordinance (§ 70-34) and state law (§ 723.3).
At the time of the incident Police were heard estimating the crowd at 100. They later estimated there were 50 in the group. Recently there have been mutiple fights among teenagers and students in the area, who ride busses to and from school.
Observers have said individuals on the premises lawfully have a right to observe and film what they see, and in fact verbalize their objections, so long as they don't make threats or physically interfere with officials carrying out their duties.
"Get her outta here" can be heard as the video begins, an order apparently shouted by a police officer. A person in red pants was seen interacting with the officer, gesturing with his right hand, to which the officer shoved him and screamed, "Don't touch me!" The girl who was body slammed responded to that shove by turning around and yelling at the officer, "what the fuck is wrong with you?" "Get off the property!" the officer commanded. She pulled away when he reached for her wrist. His response was swift and violent. In the next five seconds the officer had thrown her to the ground and put a knee on her back. As the group began ascending on the physical altercation the person in red pants worked to hold off the crowd.
People failing or refusing to leave the vicinity of a disorderly or unlawful assembly, or riot, when ordered to do so by police are violating city ordinance (§ 70-34) and state law (§ 723.3).
At the time of the incident Police were heard estimating the crowd at 100. They later estimated there were 50 in the group. Recently there have been mutiple fights among teenagers and students in the area, who ride busses to and from school.
Observers have said individuals on the premises lawfully have a right to observe and film what they see, and in fact verbalize their objections, so long as they don't make threats or physically interfere with officials carrying out their duties.
