Video shows Goodyear police hitting woman, dragging her from car

PHOENIX — A video of a Goodyear Police officer punching a woman and dragging her out of her car has surfaced on social media.

In an email, the police department said the woman, who was stopped on Van Buren Street and Dysart Road in Avondale on Thursday afternoon, had a suspended driver’s license.

After the woman was told she was placed under arrest, “she began to retreat,” the statement said.

(WARNING: Video contains graphic language and violence.) The video showed the officer grabbing the woman, who was screaming, and pulling her out of the car.

She hit her head against the inside of the door before the officer yanked her out of the car and down to the ground, where he dragged her prone body for a few inches. He then let go and drew a weapon on someone standing near the car.

“When a conflict with a suspect occurs during an arrest, this presents a challenging and often dangerous situation for the arresting officer. The top priority of the Goodyear Police Department is the safety of the public as well as our officers,” the statement said.

“When a situation such as this occurs, it can appear frightening to passersby who don’t understand the full context of the situation.”

Witnesses sitting in a car nearby recorded the incident and posted it online.

On Friday, Goodyear Police said in a statement it was handing off an investigation of the incident to the police department in nearby Surprise, citing “the continued interest of transparency and maintaining the public’s trust.”

“It is unclear how long this investigation will take and we appreciate the patience of the public as we all await the findings,” the statement said.

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