Surveillance video and police body camera footage show another look at the forceful arrest of a 61-year-old resident of a Sweetwater mobile home park that’s facing demolition.
Surveillance video and police body camera footage show another look at the forceful arrest of a 61-year-old resident of a Sweetwater mobile home park that's facing demolition.
The demolition at Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park, which includes 900 mobile homes, began Wednesday with the residences that have already been vacated. There are plans to close the park and develop a new community with affordable and workforce housing and a school.
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The redevelopment plans were met with strong criticism and protests from the tenants, who have until May to find another place to live.
Vivian Hernandez, 61, was in the main office Wednesday to talk to management when police said she refused to leave, describing her as "unruly" in an arrest report.
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Hernandez told NBC6 she was only voicing her opinion when cellphone video showed the moments a Sweetwater Police officer forced her to the ground.
As part part of our administration’s ongoing efforts to being fully transparent with our community, we are releasing both, Lil’ Abner Mobile Home Park administration’s office surveillance video, along with the officer’s body camera footage. This step ensures that everyone can… pic.twitter.com/r84H985Tpk
— City of Sweetwater (@CitySweetwater) December 5, 2024
Surveillance video and police bodycam posted on X by the City of Sweetwater show another look at the arrest. The surveillance footage, which has no audio, shows the officer interacting with Hernandez before he takes her by the wrist. A struggle ensues, and the officer throws Hernandez to the ground.
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The bodycam doesn't show the struggle and arrest, but Hernandez is heard shouting in Spanish. Before that, the officer is heard asking her to leave, but she doesn't and proceeds to sit down on a chair.
Hernandez told NBC6 she refused to leave the office because she needed to pay her rent.
"He threw me on the floor. He broke my glasses in my face," she told NBC6, saying she had pain on the left side of her head and face.
The mayor of Sweetwater released a statement saying his command staff will conduct a thorough review of the incident to ensure all legal guidelines were met.
Hernandez maintains the officer used unnecessary violence and wants him fired.
"What do I want to happen? I want justice, because that police didn't have a reason to mistreat me that way only for expressing my opinion, and I didn't yell at him, mistreat him or raise a hand against him, or anything. He got there and said I couldn't be there, and he threw me against the floor," she said. "What am I going to want? Justice. I want the police to fire him."
