Fort Worth police release bodycam of an officer arresting a "Cop Watcher" while she was live-streaming

4 months ago
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A woman who claims Fort Worth police officers assaulted her over the weekend says she has "bad injuries" and "bruises all everywhere."

"This arm right here… I can barely move it," Carolyn Rodriguez told CBS News Texas. "The elbow was knocked out of the socket."

The Fort Worth Police Department released bodycam video from Sunday's incident involving Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who had a visible black eye when she spoke to CBS News Texas crews Wednesday, claimed a police officer used excessive force while arresting her.

Calling herself a "First Amendment auditor" and "cop watcher," Rodriguez has created her own YouTube channel to document actions by Fort Worth police.

"My motivation is to keep the people that don't know their rights safe," Rodriguez said.

She said she was driving around the West 7th area when she saw a group of officers in a parking lot around 3 a.m. Sunday and she started following and recording them for more than 20 minutes.

"They had no police tape up. They had no lights and area," Rodriguez said.

Fort Worth police say the officers were investigating a hit-and-run incident, where the suspect ran away from the scene.

Police released a bodycam video Wednesday afternoon, which shows one of the officers asking Rodriguez to move multiple times. In response, she asks the officer, "Why?" After the officer tells her she is "under arrest," the video shows Rodriguez falling onto the ground.

Rodriguez claims she was knocked unconscious.

"I don't remember an officer hitting me, but I remember him tackling me, grabbing me from behind," Rodriguez said. "The next thing I know is I woke up in the hospital, chained to the bed, handcuffed to the bed."

Police say Rodriguez was taken to the hospital and booked into jail on multiple charges, including "resisting arrest" and "interference of public duties."

Rodriquez said such incidents have happened to her before in Fort Worth and other cities.

"I've been arrested like this probably about five or six times," she said.

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