Shocking video shows the moment a mother was pinned to the ground by police officers and repeatedly punched in the face

A mother was pushed to the ground and punched in the face by police officers while her young children watched after allegedly being pulled over for a seatbelt violation.

Cindy Hahn, 40, of Valencia, is suing the city of Carlsbad and a number of its police officers after the violent confrontation on July 31 in 2013.

She said the video recorded on ‘the worst day of her life’ shows her screaming ‘help me’ as one cop hits her in the face repeatedly while another pins her to the ground.

Hahn says her two children, aged seven and 11, screamed as they watched from the car – and her son remains traumatized. ‘The only thing that he’ll talk to me about is ‘I couldn’t protect you, Mom,’ she told CBSLA.com.  ‘I could’ve. I could’ve got him off you. I could have helped you.’

Hahn, whose father is a retired police officer, says the incident was triggered after she asked an officer, who standing next to a car with its alarm blasting, what was going on.

‘He says, ‘Is this your car?’ And I said, ‘No, sir.’ And then he says ‘Then, mind your own f******* business,’ she said.

Shocked, Hahn told a man nearby what the officer has said and then started to record a video.  She said she reported the incident to police after the cop continued swearing at her, but then left the scene.

But a short while later, she alleges the same officer pulled her over and said it was due to a seatbelt violation.  She says that within moments, she was forced to the ground and claims things escalated further when back-up arrived.

The clip shows a third police officer keeping witnesses away from Hahn, who is eventually helped to her feet as the officer in a motorcycle helmet hikes down her dress.

According to court documents, Hahn suffered permanent memory loss and brain trauma.

In July this year, the San Diego District Attorney dropped felony charges against Hahn for battery on a police officer and resisting arrest – which her attorney Mark Geragos says was due to the video.

However, she is going ahead with the lawsuit due to the ‘senseless act of egregious police brutality’ and wants the police officers involved fired and reformed. Court documents alleged that they lied about the incident under oath during Hahn’s criminal proceedings.

Hahn’s father Mike Dalton, who has retired from the San Fernando Police Department, said the incident should never have happened. ‘There was no need to punch her in the face,’ he said.

A spokesman for the Carlsbad Police Department said: 'The City of Carlsbad looks forward to bringing this lawsuit before the proper judicial authorities as soon as possible.

'We are prepared to provide a complete and detailed account of the facts of this incident in a courtroom, not in the media.'

Original report here


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