A Hurst mother is speaking publicly for the first time after a traffic stop in January that ended with her being pulled from her car, injured and arrested — an incident she and her attorney say involved excessive force.
Taneisha Thompson said the encounter happened Jan. 16 after she was pulled over for speeding. Thompson said the situation escalated when she told the officer she did not want a copy of the ticket and threw it out of her car.
Video recorded at the scene shows multiple officers pulling Thompson out of her vehicle and taking her to the ground while her 15-year-old son sat in the front seat.
“I suffered a black eye, needed stitches, and severe bruises all over my body,” Thompson said. She also said the incident has left her fearful of police. “Since that day I have lived in constant fear every time I see a police officer,” she said.
The Hurst Police Department released body camera video of the incident last week and said an internal investigation determined the excessive force claims were unfounded.
In the body camera footage, an officer can be heard telling Thompson to accept a copy of the citation and warning her she could be cited for littering if she refused.
Thompson’s attorney, Lee Merritt, disputes the department’s findings and said the video raises broader concerns about police policy. He said if the actions shown in the video reflect department policy, the city itself could face legal issues.
The incident was discussed Tuesday during public comment at a Hurst City Council meeting, where residents voiced sharply divided opinions.
Some speakers defended the officers’ actions, while others said the video was disturbing and raised concerns about excessive force.
Thompson said she is now speaking publicly in hopes of preventing similar incidents in the future.
Both the city and Thompson’s attorneys have also accused each other of releasing edited versions of the video. Each side said the edits only removed unnecessary portions and did not change the events shown.
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