Woman Refuses to Show Id Gets Arrested and Screams I Can't Breathe

[kellyhound]

Over the past 24 hours, a 2 minute and 38 second video has been widely posted on social media of an Aurora Police traffic stop that occurred on Saturday, June 13th on the city’s east side.

The video only shows a short portion of the traffic stop and doesn’t provide any information about what happened. Unfortunately, people have rushed to judge the incident without having all the facts.

In an effort to tell the entire story, the Aurora Police Department is releasing a narrative of the incident and the dash camera video of what happened.

During the incident, neither offender had any pressure applied to their neck or were restrained in any way that could prevent them from breathing. At the request of both individuals, they were transported to area hospitals and released shortly thereafter without any injuries.

To provide complete transparency to the community, the lengthy narrative of the police report is attached.

Incident Narrative

Just after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, an Aurora Police officer observed a white Chevrolet Malibu stopped at the red light at New York Street and Eola Road with the passenger door open. The door was then closed and the officer observed a male and a female inside the vehicle engaged in what appeared to be a physical altercation and appeared to be striking one another with their hands and forearms.

Once the traffic light turned green, the vehicle performed multiple quick lane changes and the officer continued to observe a physical altercation between both occupants as they strike one another with their fists and forearms. The officer performed an investigative traffic stop of the vehicle to ensure the occupants were safe and uninjured.

As the officer approached the vehicle, he saw a male adult driver and an adult female in the passenger seat. The officer observed the female breathing heavily with tears in her eyes and asked both occupants what was happening inside of the vehicle and if everyone was ok. Both occupants stated that nothing was happening and demanded to know why they were being stopped.

The officer told the driver and the passenger that he saw the front passenger door open and then observed the altercation between both occupants. Because the officer was investigating a crime (battery to an individual), the officer requested the identification of both occupants. Under Illinois law, police officials have a statutory duty to investigate crimes and criminal conduct. To fulfill this responsibility, police officials identify suspects and collect personally identifiable information about them. Officers are permitted to demand the name and identification of persons involved in potential criminal activity.

The male driver provided his driver’s license while the female passenger refused to provide any information. The officer asked the female passenger numerous times to provide her name. The officer explained to the female that he needed to ensure the occupants of the vehicle were safe and needed to know who was in the vehicle before he released them from the scene.

At that time, both occupants of the vehicle became extremely irate and began yelling at the officers and telling him that he had no right to ask the female’s birthday.

Because the vehicle’s occupants became irate, additional officers were requested to the scene.

The female then provided the officer a false name and continued to refuse to provide her birthday. APD’s Dispatch Center was unable to confirm her name so the officer implored the female to provide her birthday. Once again, the officer reminded her that they would be released from the scene as soon as he could verify her identity. The female continued to refuse to provide her birthday after being prompted to do so.

At that time, the officer informed the female that she needed to step out the car which she refused to do. Another Aurora Police officer told the female that she was under arrest and must exit the vehicle.

The officers warned the female that she would be removed from the car if she did not comply. The officers continued to request the female to step out of the car and she refused. Her response was, "Don't touch me!" "Don't (expletive) touch me!" "You don't have no probable cause don't (expletive) touch me!" "Get out of my face!"

After refusing multiple demands to exit the vehicle, the female had to be removed from the vehicle. As one of the officers attempted to unlatch the female’s seatbelt, the male driver blocked the seatbelt release button with his hand. An officer was able to place their hand underneath the male’s hand and depress the seatbelt release button, unlatching the female’s seatbelt from her seat.

But, the male grasped the seatbelt and refused to let go, preventing the officers from removing her from the vehicle. The male was instructed to let go multiple times and he refused. Two other police officers began removing the male driver from the driver’s seat. As he was being removed, he began swinging his arms and struck one of the officers in the chin with his hand. The driver then refused to place his arms behind his back after he had been given commands to do so.

The officers gave commands to the man to have him place his arms behind his back, but he continued to resist and one of the officers performed two knee strikes to the driver’s side, which is an acceptable use of force under Aurora Police Department policies.

The driver then turned to his stomach and placed his arms behind his back. He continued to resist as an officer was attempting to place handcuffs on the man. He was eventually taken into custody.

Moments after, other officers started to remove the female from the vehicle. She began to kick and flail her arms about the vehicle as officers attempted to remove her. The female was subsequently removed from the vehicle and placed on her stomach with her arms placed behind her back and placed into custody.

The female was screaming “I can’t breathe” as bystanders began to film the incident unfolding. The woman never had any pressure applied to her neck or was never restrained in any way that could prevent her breathing.

After the woman was in custody, she began hyperventilating. To ensure she received proper medical care, officers requested an Aurora Fire Department ambulance and paramedics to respond to the scene. One of the officers attempted to assist the female by instructing her to control her breathing and told her to breathe in through her nostrils and out through her mouth, but she continued to hyperventilate. Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the female to an Aurora area hospital in good condition.

A few minutes later, the male driver requested medical attention stating that his ribs felt injured. Another Aurora Fire Department ambulance was requested to the scene and the man was transported to an Aurora area hospital.

One Aurora Police officer received an injury to his left forearm and the left side of his forehead while taking the male driver into custody. A red laceration to the inner side of the officers left forearm and a laceration with bruising to the left side of his forehead was observed on the officer.

After both suspects were in custody, officers searched the female’s backpack where they located a small purse with an Illinois Driver’s License, Illinois ID Card, and Illinois FOID card properly identifying the female as 22-year-old Alexus Ward.

The case was reviewed with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, who authorized the following felony charge against 22-year-old Jajuan Mitchell-Lomax of the 1700 block of Rebecca Lane in Aurora:
One Class 4 Felony count of Aggravated Resisting

The charges were upgraded to aggravated resisting because of the injuries sustained by one of the Aurora Police officers during the incident. Mitchell-Lomax was also cited with Failure to Signal when Required.

The female passenger, 22-year-old Alexus Ward, of the 1600 block of 17th Avenue in Maywood, was charged with the following:
One Class A Misdemeanor charge of Obstructing Identification
One Class A Misdemeanor charge of Resisting Arrest

A few hours later, Lomax-Mitchell was released from the hospital and transported to Aurora Police’s jail. During the booking process, he claimed he was injured by officers and stated he had a bruise on his left hip. Under Aurora Police Department policy, officers will photograph and document any potential injuries for record-keeping. APD officers were able to obtain two profile pictures of the man before he told the officer he didn’t need to take any more pictures.

A short time later, the officer went to his holding cell and asked him again if he could photograph the bruise on his hip, since he alleged he was injured by officers, and he refused.

Shortly after being transported to the hospital, Ward was also released and transported to the Aurora Police jail. Hospital staff told APD that they did not observe any injuries on Ward during her medical observation. During the booking process, Ward also claimed she was injured by officers during her arrest. She was photographed during the booking process, but officers did not observe any injuries.

After the incident occurred, the officer also learned that two witnesses has observed the physical altercation between Ward and Mitchell-Lomax and had reported it to APD Dispatch. Both witnesses came to the police department to provide written statements to officers.

[Bohemond]

They are liars.

[bike1941]

was it worth it? maybe even would have just been a ticket lol. good times.

[Ihcap Orevir]

I don't get it why all that distrust and disrespect...

[Ihcap Orevir]

aaah... that explains it all, they are black people...

[alphawolf15]

Dumb animals

[Nasty Nuggets]

Originally Posted by Ihcap Orevir

I don't get it why all that distrust and disrespect...

[joos]

That was hard to watch...for how much shit the cops had to deal with.