Jason Pohl

jasonpohl@coloradoan.com

A nine-second video went viral online Saturday showing a Fort Collins police officer throwing a 22-year-old woman — apparently face-first — to the brick pavers in Old Town.

Police maintain the arrest technique was relatively standard and the woman had already assaulted the officer.

UPDATE:Details emerge on Old Town arrest

Officers were dispatched Thursday night to reports of a "separated disturbance" between two men near Bondi Beach Bar in Old Town Fort Collins. While officers were gathering information from employees about the reported fight, the girlfriend of one of the suspects "shoulder-checked the bouncer and an officer and then pulled her boyfriend from the area," said Kate Kimble, Fort Collins police spokeswoman.

"The officers told her that her boyfriend was not free to leave but that she could go," Kimble said. "She remained at the scene, at which time she physically obstructed and struck an officer."

That's when Kimble said the officer used a "standard arrest control" to subdue the woman, identified through jail records and by police as 22-year-old Michaella Surat.

A bystander captured part of the incident on video and shared it online. The succinct clip shows what appears to be a scuffle between the woman and an officer in Old Town Square. A few seconds later, the woman and officer grapple before he brings her to the ground.

By midday Saturday, the video had been viewed or shared thousands of times on Twitter and Instagram.

The incident was also captured on body-worn cameras. All District 1 police officers wear the devices, and Fort Collins Police Services is in the process of outfitting every uniformed cop in the city with the cameras.

"As this is still an open case, body camera video is not being released at this time," Kimble said. A police supervisor will review the use of force to ensure the actions are within policy and training.

Officials on Saturday did not publicly identify the officer.

Surat, confirmed to be a Colorado State University junior, was arrested and booked into the Larimer County Jail, where she has since posted her $1,750 bond. She has been formally charged with third-degree assault and obstructing a peace officer. She is due in court Wednesday.

Reporter Jason Pohl covers law enforcement for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.