Police Release Body-Worn Camera Video From Incident In Which Senior Was Thrown To Ground

Baltimore County police released body-worn camera footage from an incident in which a 76-year-old woman was thrown to the ground.

The video shows an officer arriving alone at Rena Mellerson's Gwynn Oak home earlier this month in search of her granddaughter, Cierra Floyd. The officer wanted to arrest Floyd for disorderly conduct in connection with an incident earlier in the day.

The videos from two officers show Mellerson questioning why the officer wants to arrest her granddaughter. The officer is seen raising his Taser.

"You going to tase me? You'd better not tase me," Mellerson says.

Warning: Graphic language

The officer maintains that Mellerson is interfering with a lawful arrest and says repeatedly that he doesn't want to arrest Mellerson or charge her with anything.

"If she just gets up and comes with me, everything's fine and this is over," the officer says.

Mellerson closes the door, jamming the officer's foot inside.

"Get away now!" the officer yells. "Back up, get back! My foot is in the door! You're both going to get [expletive] locked up."

The officer held his Taser to the opening between the door and the doorframe. He then holds his handgun to the same corner. He uses a tool to wedge the door open. A backup officer then arrives. The first officer grabs Mellerson and the backup officer is seen flipping her to the ground.

The officer is heard coughing and pepper spray residue could be seen on a wall facing the door. Coughing can be a sign of pepper spray exposure.

Warning: Graphic language

"Be easy with her, easy," the officer says.

"I didn't do nothing," Mellerson says.

The second officer tells Mellerson to interlock her fingers behind her back so she can be handcuffed. He repeats the instruction, but she doesn't cooperate.

"Do you understand basic English?" the officer asks.

"Yeah," Mellerson responds.

"Interlock your fingers now," he says.

After Mellerson and Floyd are arrested, a child emerges, crying for his mother.

.@BaltCoExec reacts the the release of the body worn camera footage showing a 76 year-old woman being thrown to the ground @wbalradio pic.twitter.com/32zdWHPPVP — Phil Yacuboski (@WBALPhil) January 28, 2020

"We rightly hold our police officers to the highest of standards as they conduct their work and we expect them not only to uphold high standards but to follow department policies and guidelines," Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr. said. "I will tell you that, for me personally and my family, it's not what I would expect in terms of interactions with the police department. It's not what I expect for residents of Baltimore County."

Mellerson's family is considering a lawsuit against the county. The incident remains under investigation. All four officers remain on desk duty until that investigation is complete.