Settlement reached in Wildwood beach confrontation caught on police bodycam
WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A settlement has been reached regarding a violent beach confrontation in Wildwood from Memorial Day Weekend two years ago.
The May 25, 2018 incident involved a 20-year-old Philadelphia woman and two seasonal police officers.
Court documents show Emily Weinman of Kensington will receive $325,000 from the October 2019 lawsuit, which claimed the officers "brutally and senselessly assaulted her... as her 18- month-old daughter looked on."
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The lawsuit said, "With no legal justification, (the officers) assaulted (Weinman) for no other reason than she refused to provide her last name to the beach patrol officers as they attempted to investigate the ownership of a few unopened bottles of Twisted Teas that were propped against a cooler near (Weinman's) beach blanket."
After Weinman took and passed a breathalyzer, the document said, the "officers continued to escalate the interaction with Plaintiff rather than just confiscating and disposing of the alcoholic beverages."
FULL WILDWOOD POLICE BODYCAM VIDEO
The lawsuit continued, "Incredibly, after (Weinman) refused to provide her last name to (the officer), he told her that she was going "to get dropped" and then proceeded to chase her and violently bring her to the ground as she screamed for help."
The lawsuit claimed the officers physically assaulted Weinman "by forcefully pushing her face and head into the sand, pulling her hair, twisting her arms, placing their full body weight on her, choking her, and eventually striking her in the face and head area with closed fists."
The officers claimed she kicked them during a dispute.
Weinman initially faced several charges including two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Weinman pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. All other charges were dismissed.
The two officers were not charged.
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Wildwood police released body camera video of the confrontation between the officers and Weinman days after the incident.
The bodycam video showed Weinman, who was 20 at the time, getting breathalyzed by a Wildwood police officer, after having been approached for suspicion of underage drinking.
Weinman places a call to her aunt who is of age, who she said brought the alcohol.
After a back and forth between Weinman and the officer, she refuses to give the officer her whole name.
The officer then goes after Weinman, who backed away from him.
According to the police statement, she is seen striking the officer on the torso, which also turns off the body camera, according to police.
During the struggle, police said the camera resumes recording.
The officer can be seen striking Weinman in the head, and she is handcuffed and walked to a police car.
The lawsuit said Weinman "suffered physical injuries, pain, great mental anguish, humiliation, degradation, emotional pain and suffering, and other grievous and continuing injuries and damages."
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A nonbinding mediation was held on November 4.
On November 24, the United States District Court of New Jersey filed an order saying the case of Weinman v. City of Wildwood has been settled.
