Feds probe video showing officer slamming woman’s phone in California

The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating an incident in California in which a federal law enforcement officer appears to grab the cellphone of a woman recording police activity and slams the phone to the ground.

The incident was posted on YouTube Sunday. Information provided in the YouTube post claims that the confrontation happened earlier in the day.

In the 53-second video, a woman is shown standing on the sidewalk aiming a cellphone toward two men standing a short distance away in black shirts with tactical vests reading “Police” across the back.

As the men stand with their backs to the woman, she can be heard saying, “I do not feel safe with you” and “You are making me feel unsafe and I have a right to be here” and “You need to stay away from me, I don’t feel safe with you closer to me,” among other statements.

The two men don’t appear to face the woman or make any movement toward her. The incident appears to be recorded by a person across the street from the woman.

About 27 seconds into the video, a third man wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle walks across a front lawn toward the sidewalk where the woman is standing. The woman appears to point her handheld device toward the third man as one of the other men motions toward her with his arm. What everyone says in the video at that point is unintelligible.

At 32 seconds, the woman takes a couple of steps away from the men. The officer crossing the lawn then rushes toward her and grabs the device from the woman’s hands as she gasps.

“Oh! No! Don’t do that!” the woman is heard yelling as the man wrestles the device out of her hand and smashes it to the ground. He then kicks it down the street and the three men walk way.

“Did you record that?” she shouts to the person filming the incident.

On Tuesday, California’s South Gate police confirmed the U.S. Marshals Service was involved in an operation within the city that day. A U.S. Marshals Service official acknowledged that the agency is aware of the video, confirmed that the operation involved the Marshals Service and was investigating whether the man seen slamming the device is employed with the Marshals Service.

NBC News reported the marshals were investigating a local biker gang during the confrontation.

South Gate police officials distanced themselves from the incident, saying they were aware of the operation within their city but were not involved.

“None of the people in that video are South Gate cops,” said Capt. Darren Arakawa. “We have to clean our hands of it, I don’t know what to say.”

South Gate commanders have been telling their officers to get used to being recorded, Arakawa said. As a result of recent use of force incidents in Oklahoma, New York, South Carolina and Southern California, use of force and the conduct of law enforcement officers is under significant scrutiny nationwide.

South Gate police found countless cellphone cameras trained on them at a recent memorial for a man killed during an officer-involved shooting, Arakawa said.

“We tell people, ‘Just get used to it. It’s not that big a deal if you’re not doing anything,’” he said.

In regard to the incident shown on the YouTube video, Arakawa said he understands the public’s concern.

“I sense people’s frustration. I’m looking at that. … I don’t know how you’d get away with that,” he said. “Honestly, I can’t account for the guy’s actions. This is not going away.”

Requests for comment from the person who claimed to post the video were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Times