“He’s touching me, he’s touching me!” A woman screamed as JSO officers arrested her in body camera video published on YouTube and Instagram.
Brittany Chrishawn Williams was arrested back in May 13, 2020 and was charged with two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. Police say she kicked an arresting officer in the hip.
Attorneys for the woman involved say they want charges dropped against her.
Williams compiled body cam footage of the incident. In a video description Williams says the officers were trespassing on her property and conspiring against her for no reason.
According to a police report, officers were dispatched to a home in the 200 block of 21st Street. A statement from an officer says he backed into the driveway at what he thought was a vacant property after completing a call at a nearby convenience store.
The report says the officer was checking his computer when Williams came up to his vehicle and asked if she could help me. He stated “no ma’am, I just finished a call on the corner and was just checking emails.”
The report says Williams asked the officer to get out of her driveway, and he responded saying “I will be leaving shortly I was just finishing up.”
“The suspect immediately threw a spoon with an unknown green substance on it at me while I was sitting in the car,” the report said.
Jeff Chukwuma, an attorney representing Williams says there are questions as to whether she threw a spoon in the first place.
“What we’re seeing is a typical situation where police officers are using their power and trying to do whatever they need to do to make themselves look good and get away and justify their actions,” Chukwuma told First Coast News.
The report says the officer collected the spoon and waited for backup to arrive.
Warning: some of the footage is disturbing.
In the video, Williams and her boyfriend repeatedly ask the police officers why they were there.
Video shows as an officer approaches, Williams backs into her home and the officers detain her. Williams was knocked to the ground and you can see an officer slams her head on the ground. A second officer put his knee on Williams’ neck. An officer Padgett twists Williams arms.
Attorneys say due to the excessive and unjustifiable force, Ms. Williams suffered a head injury, a neck contusion and two fractured teeth.
“Is this what happens to somebody with no criminal history, who doesn’t have as much as a speeding ticket? To be beaten and have her face slammed into the ground in the manner in which it was causing her to lose her two front teeth?” Chukwuma said.
Williams’ video, which edits together the body cam videos from different officers, has gained thousands of views.
After Williams was put into a police car, you can hear a second officer laughing.
“Why’d you park here?” an officer said.
You can also hear officers joking after the arrest was made.
“Just be sure when you write your narrative…I did not activate my camera immediately,” an officer said.
Police can be heard on body cam telling witnesses that if Williams touched her firearm she’d be dead by now.
The police report says while Williams was taken into custody a light-blue semi-automatic pistol fell off of her person and onto the floor.
Attorneys say based on the facts and evidence known to us at the time, Williams never committed any crime.
Chukwuma says his office was recently obtained and they are in the process of gathering evidence to come to reach a resolution. He wants the charges dropped against her client.
“The manner in which JSO handled this situation from beginning to end was completely improper,” Chukwuma said.
A pre-trial hearing for Ms. Williams is scheduled for February 1.
First Coast News has requested all of the body cam videos from the incident, but JSO denied the request saying it’s part of an active and ongoing investigation.