Disturbing footage of a female police officer fighting a 16-year-old girl has gone viral, and an investigation is now underway. The cellphone video, which was first shared to social media on Monday, shows a large street brawl in Southwest Philadelphia as well as the violent exchange between the 12th District Officer the teenage girl -- whom has been identified as Johnnae Pendleton -- which took place after they broke away from the rest of the group.
Police went to the scene in response to a call about a person with a weapon, and they arrived as a melee, involving many teens, was taking place. No serious injuries have been reported, and it seems that the situation was able to be diffused relatively effectively, though not without a certain Philadelphia police officer facing potential repercussions.
The officer and the teen whom are being investigated are presumed to have been interacting before they are caught on camera. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has said that the viral cellphone footage does not tell the whole story.
Footage shows the officer throwing Pendleton onto the ground. She then gets on top of Pendleton's torso and begins throwing many punches.
"One of the things that did not get captured on video -- that the young lady admitted to in her interview," Ross tells WPVI-TV, "is that she actually smacked the officer in the face, knocking the glasses off her face."
Pendleton was initially charged with assault on police and disorderly conduct, though the district attorney dropped the charges and released her from custody, despite Ross' claim that she had admitted to hitting the officer in the face.
"I am happy that it was caught on video because if it wasn't I would have been charged and I would've been in a youth study center or something," Pendleton told WPVI-TV.
The officer has reported injuries of "minor bruising to the eye," whereas Pendleton reportedly told police that she sustained no injuries during the fight. The officer has been removed from the streets while the investigation continues.