WILDWOOD — The woman whose violent arrest on a beach was captured on video in 2018 is suing the city and police officers involved.

Emily Weinman was approached by three Wildwood police officers as she sat on the beach. They asked about the alcohol she was drinking and whether she was of legal drinking age. She passed two breath test administered at the site, but refused to give her name.

Police bodycam video shows Weinman walking away from the officers, with one warning her that she is "about to get dropped."

As Weinman shouts for her boyfriend, she turns around and slams an officer in the chest, which police say caused the officer's camera to turn off temporarily.

The arrest made headlines after another person on the beach took video of the arrest, showing an officer punching Weinman at least twice in the head. Days later, the police department released video clips from the officer's bodycam, although the debate about how police handled the situation did not abate.

NJ.com reported that Weinman filed a federal lawsuit on Monday, accusing one of the officers, Lt. Kenneth Gallagher, of lying to a grand jury about Weinman resisting arrest, and saying Officers Thomas Cannon and Robert Jordan wrote false information about her in their reports.

Weinman's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, told NJ.com that the officers "acted totally unreasonable when they assaulted my client."

Bonjean and Wildwood mayor Ernie Troiano, Jr., who supported his officers, both did not immediately return messages on Thursday afternoon.

Weinman pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in February to in a plea deal with Cape May County prosecutors that called for her to serve a year of probation. She was also barred from Wildwood and its beaches during that time. The officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing.

She had faced numerous charges stemming from the confrontation: two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault by spitting bodily fluids at/on a police officer, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstruction and minor in possession of alcohol.

Aurhorities cleared the officers of wrongdoing.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report

 

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