Police officer punches woman in viral arrest video

SHELBY: A North Carolina police officer was fired after he appeared to straddle a woman and punch her repeatedly during an arrest in a now-viral video.

The viral video from doorbell camera footage captured a Shelby police officer appearing to throw a woman on the ground and hit her repeatedly on Friday, May 29, before straddling her during an arrest.

In a press conference shared on social media, Shelby Police Chief Brad Fraser said the police officer seen hitting the woman was fired. The officer was previously placed on “administrative suspension.”

Fraser said the findings of an internal investigation were handed over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations for an “independent review of any criminal violations.”

City Manager Justin Merritt and Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony also spoke during the press conference about the “disturbing” arrest.

The viral video of the arrest, which appeared to come from a doorbell camera quickly circulated online on Friday.

Officer seen punching woman while straddling her

The video appears to show a woman, who was later identified as Cherie Moore, grabbing the officer’s arm at the beginning of the video before the officer was seen throwing her to the ground.

The woman appeared to say, “I don’t have a warrant. What are you doing?”

The officer then appeared to hit the woman several times while straddling her. The woman can be heard exclaiming in pain, and did not appear to fight back.

A second police officer was seen running into view of the camera and appears to be telling the other officer “Let go, let go, I got her, I got her, I got her.” The first police officer appeared to hit the woman despite the second officer telling him to stop.

The second officer is then seen helping the woman up as the other officer grabs her other arm. They then appear to place her in handcuffs.

The woman can be heard continuing to say that she does not have a warrant as officers are “commanding her to put her hands behind her back”.

A fourth officer appears, who is in plain clothes and not uniform, and continues to tell the woman to put her hands behind her back while the woman is heard saying she needs someone to call someone.

The woman can be heard asking the officers to call her father, saying she’s not on her medication. She could be heard asking for mental health help at least once in the video.

The now-viral video ends with the woman and four officers standing on a lawn. It was not immediately clear whether she was taken into custody, or what charges she may face.

One of the officers can be heard asking her to “stay still, stay still.”

Moore charged with breaking and enter, resisting arrest and assault on a government official, according to jail records.

Officer previously placed on leave

Prior to being fired, the city of Shelby said in a minute-long press conference on social media that the officer was placed on administrative leave Friday after video of the arrest went viral online.

Hours later protesters gathered in Downtown Shelby on Friday evening to decry the officer’s actions, and to call on the police department to take action.

In the minute-long press conference Shelby police Chief Brad Fraser provided the city’s first official statement in response to the viral video.

Earlier today, officers with the Shelby Police Department were conducting a criminal investigation when they encountered a suspicious female in the area. As seen in the video currently circulating on social media, the actions taken by one officer during that encounter are disturbing and inappropriate. A second officer can be seen intervening to stop those actions.

The officer involved in this incident has been placed on Administrative Suspension while an internal investigation is being conducted by our Office of Professional Standards.

We understand the concerns this incident has caused within our community and want to assure the public that this matter is being taken seriously. The Shelby Police Department remains committed to professionalism, accountability, and maintaining the trust of the community we serve.”

Sheriff’s office says it’s not connected with video
The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office shared two statements on Friday, that clarify the officers seen in the video are not sheriff’s deputies.

“The conduct depicted is deeply concerning and does not reflect the standards expected of any law enforcement professional. Our comments are directed toward the behavior seen in the video alone, not toward the Shelby Police Department as a whole,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said, in part, on Friday.

“We trust that the appropriate authorities will thoroughly review this incident to ensure transparency and accountability moving forward,” the statement said.