By Police1 Staff
WILDWOOD, N.J. — Two New Jersey police officers have been assigned to administrative duty after a video of a struggle between officers and a woman at a beach went viral.
ABC News reports that video captured several Wildwood Police Department officers trying to subdue a woman identified as 20-year-old Emily Weinman on Saturday. When officers took the Weinman to the ground, one LEO is seen throwing punches to the woman’s head as beachgoers tell Weinman to “stop resisting.”
Video of the incident was posted on Twitter and has been viewed more than 2 million times. Police didn’t release details on what led to the confrontation.
https://twitter.com/HewittLexy/status/1000511462425681921
The Wildwood PD released a statement after the video went viral, announcing the officers’ reassignment and the initiation of an internal investigation.
Chief Robert Regalbuto asked the public not to rush to judgment while an investigation is ongoing. The chief also said body cam footage showing the incident in its entirety will be released soon.
“I clearly think it’s something we need to work on, but, again, you have to see the entire video,” Regalbuto said.
Mayor Ernie Troiano, Jr. came to the officers’ defense and said they were “doing their job,” according to NJ.com.
“She refused to comply,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is what happened.
When asked if the incident will lead to more training, Regalbuto said “you can never have enough training” and that the department will need to learn from its mistakes.
Police said Weinman faces several charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer and aggravated assault by spitting body fluids at/on a police officer.
https://www.facebook.com/wildwoodpolice/posts/1565020420286549