Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are under scrutiny after video surfaced of them forcibly removing an elderly woman from her seat in a reserved area in a downtown train station.
According to CBS Los Angeles, a witness said that the 76-year-old, whom she identified as a friend, often comes to Los Angeles’ Union Station to sit and talk and had a card from an L.A. Metro officer that she thought permitted her to sit in the reserved-seating area without a ticket.
So when deputies came up to her and asked her to leave, she refused, leading arrests to arrest her.
In a clip of the disturbing video, the woman can be heard saying repeatedly, “You are hurting me,” as two sheriff’s deputies attempt to put her in handcuffs.
In the video, the elderly woman can be heard asking for her cane, which one deputy denies her.
“I will give you your cane once you stand up,” the officer is heard responding.
“No, hand me my cane so I can stand up,” the woman insists.
When she does not stand up, a deputy can be seen pushing her head down on the seat.
“Stop! Stop!” the woman is heard screaming.
The woman’s friend told CBS Los Angeles that she heard the elderly woman’s head hit the wooden armrest.
“It did not need to escalate to that point,” the friend, who wanted to be identified only as Tina, told the news station. “It was past excessive, in my opinion. She, I’m sure, weighs no more than 95 pounds wet. I was really shocked and traumatized witnessing this.”
The 76-year-old was ultimately released from jail; however, according to the news station, she may still face charges for obstructing an officer.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department told CBS Los Angeles that the incident is under review to determine if reasonable force was used.
Read more at CBS News.