Bodycam and dash footage shows controversial Camden County traffic stop
By: Newly obtained bodycam footage of a controversial traffic stop involving a Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy was shown to News4JAX on Friday. The new video gives clear audio of the arrest.
“I can’t make her get out of her car – I just tell her she can’t drive it,” Deputy Christi Newman can be heard saying in the video.
Newman was speaking with another deputy just moments before yanking a woman out of her car and onto the ground.
Deputy Newman didn’t want the woman to drive off – knowing she had a suspended license, but she wanted to explain that to the woman outside of her truck.
This is what Deputy Christine Newman of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said moments before pulling a woman out of her truck, handcuffing her, hitting her in the face – then throwing her by her hair into the hood of her patrol car:
“I mean I can let her sit right here until I leave, but she’s on private property at this point,” Deputy Christi Newman said. “I can’t make her really get out of her car but I mean if I’m not arresting her. Hahaha. (Another deputy: If that’s your story stick to it.) I am, I am. I know what I’m talking about.”
News4Jax just obtained this body camera video from the Camden County NAACP who put in the request to the department after getting a tip about the January incident.
According to the report, before walking over to Charis Faria’s truck, Newman learned Faria had a non-judgment suspension.
“Nah, I want you to step out,” audio from Newman said. (Woman: I’d like to stay in the vehicle – there is a reason why) I want you to step out. (There’s not a reason for me to step out). Because I told you to step out, okay? I want you to step out because I need you to step out. (I need to have a reason) You don’t have to where is it stated that you have to have a reason.”
In the video — viewers see both women start tussling over the door. Deputy Newman radios for another unit and walks back to the truck and opens the back door.
“She won’t get out of the car. (opens back door). Get out the car or else I’m going to break the window. (You’re not going to break the widow). Pause,(swoosh).”
News4JAX asked retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office assistant Chief Rick Parker to look at the video.
“She looks like mentally and physically ill-prepared to handle that call,” Parker said.
News4JAX asked: Do you think it would have hurt to inform the driver of why she want her to get out?
“I think it’s appropriate, you got to make a decision in order to do that. But you also have to think of the potential outcome and the consequences,” Parker said.
When the video continued we could hear deputy Newman try to speak with her again through the back door, but it doesn’t work. Then we hear what sounds like Faria on the phone with 911. This is both bodycam and dashcam video at this point.
“DEPUTY PULLS ON DOOR – Get out of the vehicle right now. (Your officer just hit the damn front of the vehicle.) Get out of the vehicle…. Get out of the…get out, get the F out of my the f***ing car. right now get out – get out of the f*****g car (camera drops – woman is on ground). Get out – (another deputy: Taser, taser, taser). Hear the taser deployed. Get out (woman: What the f**k?) Hear the taser going off.”
Then, 30 seconds go by, but News4JAX could not make out the audio from the body cam. As Faria stands up the deputy hits her in the face.
Later, Deputy Newman is back in her patrol car – visibly upset.
“I’m pissed,” Newman said. “I don’t know where that came from, honestly, she would not get out the car. (Another deputy: You do what you’ve got to do, she was non-compliant, you do what you have to do). “I hurt her when she was in handcuffs — I’m going to get in trouble.”
Newman then said: “I wasn’t even arresting her. I asked her to step out so I could talk to her so she can’t drive off.”
Retired JSO Assistant Chief Rick Parker weighed in after watching the full video.
“There’s potentially a little blackout period,” Parker said. “And that should be of really serious concern for her supervisors. And the executives in that department as to her condition, her ability to function at her job. “Multiple punches to a handcuffed person accomplish absolutely nothing. And it looks personal. Clearly, it clearly looks personal. And that’s done when you’re completely out of control.”
News4JAX received Deputy Newman’s personnel file from the department and found she has been in law enforcement for five years. We only found one warning against her and it was from this situation in January. A month later she was praised for handling another situation, and then named deputy of the month in March.
We heard from the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the department this afternoon about deputy Newman’s warning. They said in part “progressive discipline is used on cases where no other employee warnings exist, which in this case no prior policy violations exist in Dep. Newman’s file. The discipline was immediate upon the review of the supervisor.”
With that, News4JAX learned Deputy Newman had two days off without pay, additional training on the use of force and officer safety, and was placed on probation immediately after the incident.