A Florida police officer is in trouble after this video of him literally dragging a woman into jail was released online. Take a look.
"This video taken in October from outside the Hillsborough county jail shows Sonya Mimminger being taken out of a vehicle. When she couldn't or wouldn't stand, the officer dragged her inside." (Via WPTV)
According to the Tampa Tribune, Mimminger was arrested on drug charges and trespassing and, after putting up a fight with officers, was taken into custody.
One of the arresting officers, Scott Van Treese, says he was forced to subdue her in what's called the "total appendage restraint position" while she was in the police car to keep her from potentially hurting herself.
Once they arrived at the police station, the Tampa Bay Times reports Van Treese says he removed the leg restraints so she could walk into the booking area, but he claims she refused to cooperate and went limp when he tried to stand her up.
Then, as you can see from the Tampa Police Department's surveillance footage, he nonchalantly lifted her by her bicep and dragged her straight into the booking area.
Now, Mimminger is no stranger to run-ins with the law — she's been arrested a grand total of 40 times. But a Tampa reporter who interviewed her says she still finds it hard to watch the footage of this arrest.
"Do you think that it's right that they treated you like that? That they dragged you?"
"No. No, it's not right." (Via WFOR)
Van Treese recieved a written reprimand for the incident, and his bosses aren't too happy with his behavior.
Tampa Police Department Major Diane Hobley-Burney told Bay News 9, "We felt it was inappropriate for the prisoner to be [dragged] from the car to booking... Nobody should be treated in that type of fashion."
According to WTSP, the department has also decided to change its policy so that anyone who is resisting arrest now requires two officers to transport them.
