An Arizona woman says she felt “helpless and violated” after a police officer entered her home and handcuffed her while she was wearing only a towel, in an incident that was captured on video and shared online.
Elmerelda Rossi of Chandler, Arizona, had been in the shower when two local police officers arrived at her home in response to a reported domestic disturbance involving her estranged husband. By the time officers reached the property, the disagreement had already subsided. Her teenage daughter answered the door while Rossi was still showering.
After her daughter informed her that police were at the house, Rossi wrapped herself in a towel and went to speak with the officers at the front door. She then turned and walked back into her home, at which point the situation escalated rapidly.
“I start to walk into my living room, I probably get maybe five steps in, and all of the sudden I just hear boots running in after me, telling me, ‘stop or I’ll arrest you,'” Rossi told local television station ABC 15.
Footage of the incident, recorded both by Rossi’s daughter and by a second officer wearing a body camera, shows the lead officer placing handcuffs on Rossi while she was dressed only in the towel. She can be heard shouting at the officer not to touch her during the arrest.
The officer wearing the body camera was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing. The footage was posted online, where it drew widespread attention and criticism from viewers who described the conduct as excessive.
The incident has prompted fresh debate around police procedure during domestic disturbance calls, and in particular how officers handle situations where individuals are in a vulnerable state inside their own homes.
