A disturbing video has gone viral showing a Fort Collins, Colorado police officer body slamming a 22-year-old Colorado State University student to the ground who was in high heels. The incident happened outside the Bondi Beach Bar in Fort Collins, Colorado. The video was posted via Barstool Sports on Sunday and has already garnered nearly a million views:
The woman in the video has been identified as Michaella Surat. The Fort Collins Police Department released a statement stating that the video does not tell the entire story of what happened. Police say while they were trying to break up an altercation between her boyfriend and another man, Surat shoulder-checked the bouncer and an officer and then pulled her boyfriend from the area. Officers told her she could leave, but police say she remained on the scene and proceeded to physically obstruct and strike an officer. Chief John Hutto wrote on the department’s Facebook page that they plan to investigate the incident further. He stated:
As with most events of this type, the short, publicly-available video does not have the context or content of the full event. Additionally, rarely in use of force situations is there agreement from all the parties involved as to the appropriateness, efficacy, or necessity of its use. These questions are only answered through the analysis of all the evidence after the fact.
Chief Hutto also said that there are police body camera videos of the incident, but he will not release them because the incident is still under investigation. “I am committed to preserving a process that ensures a fair and impartial outcome,” Chief Hutto stated. Surat was booked into the Larimer County Jail on charges of 3rd Degree Assault and Obstructing a Peace Officer.
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