A pregnant woman was arrested on Sept. 30 for interfering with police officers as they attempted to arrest a man outside of a Conoco gas station in Kansas City, Missouri. Police officers were responding to a 911 call made by a security guard who claimed a fight had started in the parking lot.
Police said 25-year-old Deja Stallings was attempting to stop officers from arresting activist Troy Robertson when he grabbed an officer and tried to pull Robertson away from the officers. Stallings was taken into custody for interfering with an arrest.
Footage of the incident posted on social media has caused many to be outraged. Many have called for the officer involved to be fired and Kansas City Chief of Police to resign.
In the video, a white KCPD officer puts his knee onto Stallings’ back to pin the pregnant woman against the ground. As this is going on witnesses voice their concerns about the woman while another officer warns them to stay back.
“The most recent act of brutality of a pregnant woman, an unborn child, is yet another example of the culture of brutality, callousness and disregard for the citizens of our community,” Kevin Woolfolk of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference told NBC 12.
Rev. Rodney Williams president of the Kansas City chapter of the NAACP referred to the incident a “double assault.”
Stallings’ lawyer Stacy Shaw says her client is 9 months pregnant and went to a hospital after the arrest. Since the incident protesters have been outside of city hall demanding a response to the arrest. Local activists have demanded over 50 percent of the city’s police budget be moved to social services.
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