18-Year-Old Woman Punched in Face by Arkansas State Trooper During Traffic Stop, Files Federal Lawsuit

MANILA, Ark. (BAMM Network) — An 18-year-old Arkansas woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state trooper after dashcam video showed him taking her to the ground and punching her in the face during a traffic stop, an encounter now drawing calls for an investigation from civil rights leaders and state lawmakers.

Alisa N. Hackett of Osceola was stopped by Arkansas State Police Trooper Moisses Arellano shortly before 11 p.m. Aug. 1 near Manila, in northeastern Arkansas. According to Arellano’s use-of-force report, he clocked Hackett driving 71 mph in a 60 mph zone while her vehicle’s hazard lights were activated. Hackett told the trooper that a window on her vehicle was broken and she was trying to get home.

Arellano also reported that Hackett was not wearing a seat belt, her license plate was covered and a cold bottle of liquor was on the front passenger seat. Hackett, at 18, is under Arkansas’ legal drinking age.

According to Arellano’s report, he initially planned to issue citations. But after speaking with another trooper who said Hackett had been stopped several days earlier and allegedly had an open container in her vehicle, Arellano decided to arrest her. He wrote that Hackett became argumentative, threw a clipboard toward him and resisted when he attempted to handcuff her.

The encounter then turned physical.

Arellano wrote in his use-of-force report that he took Hackett to the ground and, after she refused commands to roll onto her stomach, delivered a closed-fist strike to the left side of her face. He then drew his Taser and activated its laser but did not fire it.

Dashcam footage shows Hackett crying out for help and asking to call her mother. After being struck, she tells Arellano he cannot punch her. The trooper responds with profanity and threatens to strike her again if she does not turn over.

Hackett filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Arellano in his individual capacity. The complaint alleges that the trooper used excessive force in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights and retaliated against her for speech protected by the First Amendment. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and requests a jury trial. Arkansas State Police and the state itself are not named as defendants.

National civil rights attorney Ben Crump has since been retained to represent Hackett.

“This trooper slammed an 18-year-old girl to the ground and punched her in the face,” Crump said. “He wrote it down himself: a closed fist, because she would not roll onto her stomach.”

Crump has called on Arkansas State Police to conduct a use-of-force investigation through its Office of Professional Standards, publicly release the findings and disclose any previous use-of-force reports involving Arellano.

Arkansas State Police spokesperson Cindy Murphy told NEA Report that no records were available Monday showing disciplinary action against Arellano. Murphy said the agency does not confirm whether its Office of Professional Standards is investigating an employee unless a review ultimately results in suspension or termination.

The incident has also drawn criticism from Arkansas lawmakers and the NAACP, who have called for accountability following the release of the video.

Hackett was booked early Aug. 2 on charges including refusal to submit to arrest, possession of alcohol by a minor, failure to wear a seat belt, improper display of tags and a vehicle-light violation. Those charges remained pending as of Monday.

The allegations contained in Hackett’s federal lawsuit have not been adjudicated, and Arellano has not been found civilly liable for the encounter.