A video showing Fort Collins Police slamming a Colorado State University sorority girl down to the ground face-first during an arrest outside a bar has gone viral after it was posted on Instagram on Saturday.
The video, which you can watch above, was posted by Barstool Sports with the caption “seems excessive,” has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, sparking controversy. The incident occurred on April 6, according to Larimer County Jail records.
Police said the woman had assaulted an officer prior to the start of the video. That is not seen in the 9-second video clip.
Michaella Surat, 22, was charged with third-degree assault and obstructing a peace officer after the incident, The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports.
Read more about Michaella Surat here.
Michaella Surat. (Larimer County Jail)
Kate Kimble, a spokesperson for the Fort Collins Police, told the Coloradoan the incident remains under investigation. She said the officer used “standard arrest control” to subdue Surat after they were called to the bar for a disturbance.
Kimble said the officers were called to area near the Bondi Beach Bar in Old Town for a fight between two men. One of the men was Surat’s boyfriend, police said. Kimble told The Coloradoan officers were gathering information when Surat, “shoulder-checked the bouncer and an officer and then pulled her boyfriend from the area.”
Kimble told the newspaper that Surat was told she was free to leave, but her boyfriend was not. Surat did not leave the area and she then “physically obstructed and struck an officer,” Kimble said.
The incident was also captured on body-worn cameras, which will not be released at this time because of the pending investigation. The use of force will be reviewed by a supervisor, Kimble told The Coloradoan.
(Instagram)
Some commenters and others on social media have said the woman did not need to be thrown down, while others said the actions by police were justified and that the video didn’t show the whole incident.
“Resisting arrest does NOT warrant this man to slam this woman into the ground. He could’ve grabbed her and cuffed her. If she was drunk it would’ve been 10 times easier to cuff her,” one person wrote.
“90 pound drunk slammed face first.. you are a f*ck head…. hope no one does you like that. You have to asses the threat,” another wrote.
But others came to the officer’s defense.
(Instagram)
“Why don’t you show the ENTIRE video where she HIT the officer and they resisted when told she was under arrest? No, just show the cherry picked section to forward your cop hating agenda,” one person wrote.
Surat was released after posting bail.
You can read more about Michaella Surat and the incident at the link below:
