- Dashcam footage shows trooper slamming teen to ground and punching her in face
- Trooper claims teen was resisting arrest, teen says she was just questioning actions
- Teen faces several charges from the stop, including underage alcohol possession
An Arkansas traffic stop that should have been a routine encounter has turned into a federal civil rights lawsuit after 18-year-old Alisa Hackett says Arkansas State Police Trooper Moisses Arellano abused his power by punching her in the face.
According to Jonesboro Right Now, Hackett is filing a lawsuit against Arellano over the August 1 traffic stop near Manila, Arkansas, where dashcam footage captured the trooper taking her to the ground and striking her. Hackett has retained ubiquitous civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who says the young woman was subjected to excessive force during an encounter that escalated quickly.
This trooper slammed an 18-year-old girl to the ground and punched her in the face. He wrote it down himself: a closed fist, because she would not roll onto her stomach. Alisa asked him what she had done, and the video shows what she got for asking. Arkansas State Police have to explain to the public how that is a reasonable response to a teenager at a traffic stop. If you cannot handle a teenage girl without taking her to the ground, cursing at her, and punching her in the face, you should not be wearing a badge.”
Hackett’s account of what happened differs substantially from Arellano’s version in his official report.
Arellano reportedly says Hackett was pulled over after driving 71 mph in a 60 mph zone. He also cited her for not wearing a seat belt, an improperly displayed license plate and a vehicle-light violation. A bottle of alcohol was reportedly found in the vehicle, leading to an underage alcohol charge. According to the trooper, Hackett became resistant when he attempted to arrest her, pulled her arms away and refused repeated commands to roll over after he took her to the ground. Arellano says he delivered one closed-fist strike to her face in an attempt to gain compliance.
Hackett’s account paints a dramatically different picture. She says the encounter became physical after she questioned why she was being arrested. The footage reportedly captures her repeatedly asking what she had done, calling for her mother and asking people nearby for help. After being punched, she can be heard questioning how the trooper could hit her in the face.
Hackett is facing several charges stemming from the stop: refusal to submit to arrest, possession of alcohol by a minor, speeding, failure to wear a seat belt, improper display of license tags and a vehicle-lamp restriction violation.
BOSSIP will continue to monitor this case and provide updates as new information is released to the public.
