A woman who was not subject to arrest was punched in the face by a Flagstaff police officer. She was then arrested for resisting arrest. Sound strange? Here’s what happened.
Officer Jeff Bonar says he was called in mid-November to assist in the eviction of a tenant. A deputy from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office told Bonar that his assistance was no longer needed. The police report filed by Bonar says he then noticed a woman at the scene. A month earlier (in October), he adds, that same woman was involved in a “suspicious incident.” When he searched for the woman at that time, she allegedly had two outstanding warrants.
Fast forward to November, and spotting the woman in the vicinity of the eviction location, he tells us that he told the woman he needed to speak to her. She replied, “No you don’t.” He approached her, told her she was under arrest, and an argument and scuffle ensued, during which the officer punched the woman in the face with a closed fist several times. He then arrested the woman (again) for felony resisting arrest.
Arrested for What?
As it turned out, there were no warrants outstanding at the time Bonar arrested the woman. So much for police investigative work. The entire incident was precipitated by a mistake, which we would characterize as simply sloppy police work. Bonar relied upon a recollection from a month earlier of “facts” that were incorrect, and didn’t bother to check them out.
What About the Body Cam?
Another disturbing aspect of the case is that Bonar’s report says he turned off his body cam when he was told he wasn’t needed for the eviction. The question is, why it wasn’t turned on when he accosted the woman. According to Policy 449 of the Flagstaff PD, the body cam must be activated during, among other activities, service of an arrest warrant, during an interview, and during an interrogation. While the policy is not a model of clarity, it seems clear that the body cam should have been active during the “arrest” of the woman.
Of course, the failure to do so might have made the situation a “he said, she said” situation, but for the fact that the entire incident was captured on video by a person at the scene. A few hours after the arrest, the video went viral on Facebook. So there was no denying the punches in the face. As a result, Officer Bonar has been placed on administrative leave. No charges have been filed against the woman.
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