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A Butler Township police sergeant has been placed on paid administrative leave after a video surfaced on social media of him punching a woman multiple times. According to WHIO, the video captured the sergeant and another officer arresting a woman outside of a local McDonald’s on Monday.
Footage of the incident was recorded by a watching bystander around 4:40 p.m. on Monday. According to the outlet, footage of the incident was “posted publicly on Facebook.” And also sent to News Center 7 by “multiple people.”
According to WHIO, officers were called to the McDonald’s location by an employee who alleged that the woman, named LaTinka Hancock, was yelling at employees.
She’s mad over a $.30 piece of cheese.
A statement from the law office of Wright & Schulte explained Hancock’s description of events, as reported by WDTN.
Hancock ordered a Big Mac with extra cheese from the McDonald’s in Butler Township January 16. When the sandwich didn’t have the extra cheese she ordered and paid for, she drove to the McDonald’s to get the order done correctly.
After discussing the matter with McDonald’s personnel, McDonald’s employees called police.
According to Wright, as Hancock was leaving the restaurant, Butler Township police officers confronted her and during the incident she was punched repeatedly in the head, sending her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a head injury.
According to WHIO, the officers attempted to have Hancock sign a “formal notice for trespassing” when they arrived. The officers alleged that she refused to give them information for the form.
On the contrary, Hancock said that she did, as reported by WRGT.
Write it down so I can go. I’m not giving you nothing, I already said it.
Officer Tim Zellers, whose identity was confirmed by Butler Township Police Chief John Porter on Wednesday, replied to Hancock.
You’re under arrest for failure to identify.
The interaction between the two parties quickly went from calm to physical. And at one point, Officer Zeller’s body camera footage shows him “point his taser at Hancock.”
Then, Sgt. Todd Stanley, who was also identified by Police Chief Porter, is seen punching her in the face “three times to get her up against the cruiser and in handcuffs.”
During the confrontation, Hancock told Sgt. Stanley that he punched her on his “own will.”
You punched me on your own will, I didn’t punch you, I didn’t resist. I’m a female, look at my mouth.
According to Police Chief Porter, Sgt. Todd Stanley has been with the department for 22 and a half years. And Officer Tim Zellers has been with the department for 2 and a half years. Neither officer has any previous reprimands on their files.
Police Chief Porter went on to explain that Sgt. Stanley has been placed on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation proceeds. And the decision to do so was reached because the police department received a lot of “hate mail” after the video of the incident spread on social media.
We’ve received a lot of hate mail and a lot of hate emails and phone calls calling for different things, so we felt it probably the most appropriate thing to do was to place him on leave in conjunction with some of his days off so we could complete this with as little distraction as possible.
Porter was also asked if he believed the officers’ actions were appropriate.
The officers are given options and until I have all the information, I’m not gonna comment on what is the appropriate response action to this yet.
The Police Chief added that officers are “trained in de-escalation.” And explained that’s what they were attempting to do at the beginning of the arrest.
According to WHIO, Hancock has been charged with “resisting arrest and failure to identify.” Officers also cited that she was “driving under suspension” and had an “open container of alcohol in her vehicle.”
Hancock’s attorney, Michael L. Wright, has since confirmed that the woman was indeed taken to the hospital. And sustained a concussion “and other injuries” from the confrontation with police.
On Wednesday, Hancock and Wright spoke at a press conference. And she expressed her feelings about the incident.
Almost lost my life behind it, why? I said I’m going to be quiet now, I’m going to stand up, I’m not going to be George Floyd. They’re not going to get me on the ground.
Hancock also shared her account of what exactly transpired between her and the McDonald’s worker.
She refused to take my dollar to give me 30 cents after I paid for extra cheese… She got an attitude because I asked her for a refund and called the police because she didn’t want to give me back my money.
Wright is calling for an end to this brutal behavior from law enforcement.
This must stop, these officers and their brutality and their condescending approach…
According to Dayton Daily News, Dayton Unit NAACP President Derrick Foward has also shared his thoughts about the confrontation.
I want to be clear that this incident should have never occurred in the first place. McDonald’s should be ashamed for resorting to calling the police over a disagreement over an order they got wrong. If they can’t manage basic customer service, opting to potentially put a person’s life in jeopardy over a mishandled Big Mac, it doesn’t seem for Black people to and eat at McDonald’s anymore.
Hancock maintains that she returned to the McDonald’s establishment with “good intentions.”
I’m glad that I’m able to be here to be honest. I don’t want people to feel like I’m complaining over a piece of cheese. I went in with good intentions. I came with everything; I brought back the sandwich, the fries and the receipt … I want(ed) either the sandwich or my money back.
The woman and her lawyer are awaiting additional footage from McDonald’s. And further information from law enforcement before they decide on “any potential lawsuits,” as reported by Dayton Daily News.
Roommates, what are your thoughts about this?
