Texan woman injured during arrest while filming “Cop Watch” video, police investigate use of force – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

An investigation is underway in Fort Worth after a woman who was filming police officers was reportedly injured during her arrest.

Fort Worth police said Carolyn Rodriguez approached officers as they investigated a hit-and-run crash that occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. In the crash, a suspected drunk driver fled after colliding with another vehicle on Foch Street.

A video from Rodriguez’s YouTube page, where she posts her self-proclaimed “Cop Watch” videos, shows an encounter with police in which she yelled at and confronted officers, leading to her arrest.

“We watch the police. A few of us watch the police. And we film the police performing their duties and making sure they’re not violating anyone’s rights. That’s what we do. We stand there and watch and see what’s going on,” Rodriguez told NBC 5 on Tuesday.

According to police, an officer ordered Rodriguez to cross the street “multiple times.” When she did not, another officer used force to arrest her.

Rodriguez was taken to the hospital for her injuries. When she was released, police said she was booked into jail and charged with obstruction of public duty, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest and making a false alarm or false report. Rodriguez was released after posting a total of $4,000 in bail. It is unclear if she has an attorney.

During a rally on Tuesday, Rodriguez told NBC 5 she was filming police in the entertainment district and tried to ask officers why they were towing vehicles when she was arrested. She said she was unaware of any police investigation into the hit-and-run at the time.

“I was here and there for about 15 minutes. Officer Kreuger got out of his vehicle and just said to me, ‘You need to cross the street,'” Rodriguez said.

She said when she tried to ask the officer why she had to move, he said she was under arrest, threw her to the ground and that was the last thing she remembered. She said she would like to see the officer’s bodycam video because you can’t see what the officer did to her in her YouTube video.

Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles said he also wants to see the bodycam video. In a statement released Monday, Nettles said in Rodriguez’s video, she addressed officers and asked why they were towing vehicles. Nettles said seconds later, Rodriguez is knocked to the ground and the camera goes dark. In the final seconds of her video, Nettles said Rodriguez was knocked unconscious and she could be heard snoring.

Nettles is calling on police to immediately release all bodycam footage and is urging the Fort Worth City Council to hold a closed session to discuss the incident before its next scheduled meeting in August.

“Due to the injuries sustained by Ms. Carolyn Rodriguez … I am calling on the FWPD to immediately release the body camera footage of her arrest,” Nettles said in a statement. “I am also requesting that a special meeting be called for next Tuesday to discuss with the Legal Department and the FWPD Command Staff what actually happened on the night in question.”

Nettles also called on the mayor and city council to hold a public hearing so that citizens could voice their thoughts or concerns about the arrest.

Rodriguez, whose eye socket and cheeks were streaked with green and yellow, told NBC 5 on Tuesday that she suffered a concussion during the arrest. She said her lip required stitches and her elbow and shoulder were dislocated. She said she was experiencing pain in her neck, arm and back.

“It was just a terrible blow. But thank God I don’t remember it,” Rodriguez said.

When asked by NBC 5 if she plans to file a lawsuit over her arrest, Rodriguez nodded and said she needs answers.

“That hurt, that hurt a lot, and maybe that shows them that they need to start doing some things that are a little bit better,” Rodriguez said.

Fort Worth police said both the officer’s use of force and Rodriguez’s actions were under investigation, though it was unclear if the officer was still on duty. The department said it is committed to accountability and transparency and will ensure the investigation is thorough and impartial. As of this writing, police have not released any of the bodycam videos.

WHAT IS A FIRST AMENDMENT AUDIT OR A COP WATCH VIDEO?

First Amendment audits are cases in which people exercise their right to record videos in public places while simultaneously trying to elicit responses from government officials.

Some of the videos appear provocative and are intended to examine whether an official is violating a person’s constitutional rights.

Videos of this type of interaction are very popular on social media and can reach millions of views.