CMPD: Officer punched woman in face during viral video arrest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer punched a woman in the face during an arrest Monday, a police spokeswoman confirmed, in response to what CMPD says was the woman striking him first.

Christina Pierre was arrested by officers, along with her fiancé, around 2:00 p.m. on Monday. CMPD has said the pair were smoking marijuana while waiting for the bus at a stop in the area of South Tryon Street and Arrowood Road in Steel Creek.

RELATED: ‘Not easy to watch’: CMPD responds to viral video of officer striking woman in Steele Creek

Video of Pierre’s violent arrest has gone viral on social media. It shows an officer delivering more than a dozen strikes to Pierre’s knee and legs.

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Late Wednesday, CMPD confirmed the punch after questions from WBTV.

The department’s full statement regarding the situation was released Thursday and can be read below:

“The internal investigation into the recent arrests of Christina Pierre and Anthony Lee on Nov. 13 is active and ongoing. There have been questions regarding the injury that Ms. Pierre sustained to her face and how that injury occurred. We continue to review video, conduct interviews and work closely with Internal Affairs.
Chief Jennings explained on Wednesday that we were unsure if an officer struck Ms. Pierre in the face during this initial encounter. He also stated that if Ms. Pierre’s facial injury occurred as a result from an officer, it would have likely happened in an earlier struggle prior to Ms. Pierre being on the ground.
Our ongoing investigation shows Ms. Pierre assaulting an officer by striking him multiple times in the face as she is resisting arrest. We can now confirm based on interviews and witness accounts that an officer, in response to being physically assaulted, returned a strike to Ms. Pierre’s face one time. The strike occurred during the initial encounter at the bus stop with the responding officers prior to the struggle on the ground involving several other officers.
State law authorizes anyone to use reasonable force to defend themselves. Consistent with state law, CMPD policy authorizes officers to use reasonable force to take a resisting person into custody.
The Mecklenburg County Courthouse has scheduled the hearing on the release of the recordings for Nov. 30.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Pierre’s attorney, Lauren Newton, released pictures showing a large bruise on Pierre’s left cheek. On Wednesday, Newton told Chief Investigative Reporter Nick Ochsner that she had spoken with an eyewitness who said she saw the first officer on-scene punch Pierre in the face.

“What we know from a witness, a witness that was there on scene, a white woman who’s seen in the video, is that the first officer cold-cocked Miss Pierre,” Newton said.

RELATED: Attorney: Eyewitness saw CMPD officer punch woman in face during arrest

At a press conference held Wednesday morning, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said he could not explain how Pierre’s face was injured but did not rule out that she was punched or that it was injured while she was on the ground.

“There’s a couple of different thoughts out there from watching the body-worn camera. There’s nothing that’s very clear and visible, whether an officer struck her,” Jennings said about those injuries.

Newton said Pierre is just starting to heal from the ordeal.

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