Los Angeles Police Officer Punches Young Mother Holding Baby

Originally posted July 14th, 2023

A Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy has been caught on body cam footage punching a young mother twice in the face during an intense arrest.

Footage of the incident, which took place in the city of Palmdale, was released by LA County Sheriff Robert Luna yesterday.

According to reports, the car was pulled over with three women inside, all holding their babies on their laps in lieu of car seats.

At one point during the exchange, an officer says to the young mother, “Do you want me to grab the baby or are you going to hand the baby over nicely? … I don’t want to have to snatch her and have my partner grab your arms. We’re going to take the baby one way or another.”

“No, no, please let me hold on to her, please,” the mother pleads in response. “Why are you taking my baby?”

An officer can be seen on camera punching one of the mothers twice in the head before snatching her crying child from her arms.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass released a statement calling the arrest “enraging and disturbing.” Mayor Bass continued, “The idea that you would assault a mother with a child in her arms and then subject that child to the child welfare system just because the child didn’t have a car seat is an abuse of power. When a child goes into the child welfare system, it can take months for that child to be returned. That process can result in lifelong trauma for both the mother and the child.”

What do y’all think should happen next?