Arkansas trooper punched an 18-year-old Black woman during a traffic stop, use-of-force report confirms
TheGrio...
An Arkansas State Police use-of-force report confirms a trooper struck 18-year-old Alisa Hackett in the face during a traffic stop, prompting calls for accountability.
Video of an Arkansas State Police trooper taking an 18-year-old Black woman to the ground and striking her in the face is circulating widely, amplified by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and commentator Van Jones, and the department’s own paperwork confirms what the footage shows.
According to a use-of-force report obtained by NEA Report, Trooper Moisses Arellano stopped Alisa N. Hackett of Osceola on Aug. 1 near Manila after clocking her at 71 mph in a 60 mph zone. Hackett reportedly told him her car window was broken and she was trying to get home.
The stop escalated after Arellano consulted another trooper and learned Hackett had been stopped days earlier and found with an open container, receiving only a verbal warning. Arellano wrote that he decided a citation wouldn’t suffice and moved to arrest her instead.
Hackett stepped out of the vehicle without incident, per the report. But when Arellano reached for her left hand, he said she turned toward him, repeatedly asked what she had done and pulled away. He then took her to the ground and, by his own account, delivered a closed-fist strike to the left side of her face because she would not roll onto her stomach. He subsequently drew his Taser and activated the laser without firing.
The dashcam audio captures the aftermath, with Hackett crying out for help and pleading to call her mother. In the exchange, she can be heard telling the trooper he cannot punch her, drawing a dismissive response before he warns he will do it again if she does not turn around.
EMS examined Hackett afterward, and authorities reported no visible injuries, though she complained of pain. She faces charges including refusal to submit to arrest, underage alcohol possession and speeding.
Those charges, however, don’t settle the question the footage raises: whether a closed-fist punch to the face was a reasonable response to an unarmed teenager resisting handcuffs. Advocates are urging the public to file complaints with the Arkansas State Police Professional Standards Office demanding a full investigation.