Video shows Brockville officer punching woman during arrest

BROCKVILLE A video of a Brockville police officer punching a woman during an arrest has prompted an internal investigation.

The video, apparently taken from a cellphone, has quickly made the rounds of social media in Brockville, prompting some users to complain about excessive force.

It shows the male officer struggling with a female suspect who is lying on the sidewalk. The woman appears to hit the officer on the arm while flailing on the ground.

The officer immediately strikes the woman once in the face and yells, “Don’t hit me!” He then tells the woman repeatedly to put her hands behind her back.

Brockville police Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvie confirmed Thursday that the video shows an incident that occurred Tuesday at 5 p.m.

A Brockville officer who was on patrol located a 33-year-old woman wanted for a bail violation. She was supposed to report to city police, but allegedly failed to do so.

Police reported earlier this week the woman tried to run when confronted but was apprehended a short distance later. Police charged her with resisting arrest.

Although police did not identify the woman, her mother, Jo-Ann Ross, confirmed it is her daughter, Melissa Ross.

Jo-Ann Ross, who had seen the video, went to the police station to ask about her daughter and lodge a complaint.

“I said this is wrong,” she said Thursday.

She said her daughter did miss a “sign-in appointment,” but the police’s response was disproportionate.

“They ’re treating her like a murderer,” she said. “It hurts me to see this, a man hitting a woman.”

Melissa Ross was released from custody and later checked out by a doctor; she will need X-rays to determine whether her nose was fractured in the incident, her mother said.

Harvie confirmed police spoke with a family member of the woman and are reviewing the incident. He would not identify the officer in the video.

The officer remains on duty as the internal investigation continues, Harvie said.

“We have to review all the facts,” he said. “We do take it seriously and would like to investigate it thoroughly before we make any official comment.”