The Surprise Police Department is investigating an incident involving a Goodyear officer after video surfaced on social media Thursday showing a woman being punched, then yanked from her car and thrown onto the ground.

Goodyear police officials said Friday the incident was forwarded to Surprise police to conduct the investigation in the interest of transparency and maintaining the public's trust.

"It is unclear how long this investigation will take and we appreciate the patience of the public as we all await the findings," according to an email statement from Lisa Berry, a spokeswoman for Goodyear Police Department.

Goodyear police identified the female driver in the video as 38-year-old Avondale resident Renee Armenta.

Armenta was booked into jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana.

Police confirmed the incident happened during a traffic stop just before noon Thursday near Van Buren Street and Dysart Road.

The video, which was posted on social media and shot by a bystander, includes graphic language from the person recording the incident.

It shows the officer pulling Armenta by the arm as he tries to remove her from the driver's seat of a car. The woman appears to be hanging onto the door, which prompts the officer to punch her in the face, then yank her out of the seat and onto the ground and drag her several feet.

The officer appears to then pull out a weapon and point it atthe passenger who stepped out of the vehicle during the altercation.

Police identified the passenger in the vehicle as 27-year-old Phoenix resident John Charlie Moreno Aguilar, who was suspected of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Goodyear police, reached late Thursday, provided a statement to The Arizona Republic:

"On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 1148 hours, a Goodyear officer conducted a motor vehicle stop near the northwest corner of Van Buren and Dysart.

"The driver who had a suspended driver’s license was notified that she was being placed under arrest; at that time she began to retreat.

"When a conflict with a suspect occurs during an arrest, this presents a challenging and often dangerous situation for the arresting officer. The top priority of the Goodyear Police Department is the safety of the public as well as our officers. When a situation such as this occurs, it can appear frightening to passersby who don’t understand the full context of the situation.

"In the interest of transparency and maintaining the trust of our public, the Goodyear Police Department is currently investigating the specific details of this particular case. We are working to review body cam footage and conducting interviews to determine exactly what occurred. Once our investigation is complete and all the facts are in, we will be better able to provide accurate information as to the details of this arrest. We appreciate your patience as we conduct our thorough investigation."

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