Burlington Police in Vermont were forced to release the footage from a police officer’s body camera after a teenage girl claimed on social media that she was abused by officers last month.
The incident, which involved an altercation between 18-year-old Logan Huysman and Police Sgt. My Nguyen with Officer Adam Lippa, took place in the parking lot of the Cumberland Farms on Pine Street, reports WCAX News.
At about 2:30 a.m. on June 22, the officers found Huysman and two of her friends unconscious inside a parked vehicle with a running engine.
The car allegedly smelled of alcohol and marijuana and contained paraphernalia, including what was identified as a bong.
While being questioned, Huysman did cartwheels, stood on a trash can and snatched the bong from the officer’s custody.
According to Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo, the confrontation took place for more than an hour as the officers tried to take the belligerent teen into custody.
In a shameless Facebook post, Huysman wrote that the officers touched her inappropriately during her arrest.
“I would consider that sexual assault especially coming from ‘authority,'” Huysman wrote.
She also allegedly wrote to the Burlington Free Press via a Facebook message that one of the officers had touched her breasts while they shoved her into the police car, and described the situation as traumatizing.
Del Pozo already addressed the accusation last month in a statement released to the press and posted on Facebook.
“Huysman fought the police,” he wrote. “She is portrayed on camera video mule-kicking Sergeant Nguyen about the body, head and groin. He and Officer Lippa asked her to please stop. At no point do officers strike her, use weapons, or use force beyond controlling her assault with their empty ends.”
The chief said he decided to release a portion of the nine body camera videos of the incident to further dispel the girl’s allegations of abuse.
It was then when Sgt. Nguyen told her she was under arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct. The officer can be heard telling Huysman multiple times to stop resisting.
“I refuse. I refuse,” Huysman said. “You are not going to tell me I’m under arrest.”
The woman later pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges, which included assault on a police officer.
Huysman’s father has reportedly stated that what transpired was merely a “stupid mistake”.
The chief says they are currently working with the family to help keep the teenager from doing similar types of behavior in the future.
Huysman, who is a student of South Burlington High School in Burlington, Vermont, has been arrested before for possession of Ambien and Adderal.
She also had a record for retail theft, trespassing, jumping over the desk at a Motel 6 to threaten the staff after being kicked out, and becoming hostile at St. Michael’s campus security.
