Recently, a video went viral on Twitter where a cop pulled a gun on a 14-year-old girl. It appears that a woman who somewhat disagreed with said police officer in North Carolina caused a scene. The 14-year-old girl seemingly tried to get close to the scene and that’s when the incident happened.
The person recording the whole incident is in a vehicle where the woman was restraining herself from being handcuffed. The reason for the police officer wanting to handcuff the woman is that she did not wear a seatbelt. She simply said that she has given him her personal details.
Twitter netizens angry at said cop
This cop went on a power trip and pulled a gun on a child while assaulting a woman https://t.co/WocoH0gRsy
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) February 16, 2023
After the video was uploaded on TikTok, it gained significant attention on Twitter as it got viral. In the video, the woman is resisting being cuffed and is heard requesting for additional police officers to come to the scene. However, the original TikTok upload is deleted for reasons that remain unclear.
https://twitter.com/AncapdeistO/status/1626272544524230657?s=20
Some netizens are vehemently against the cop. The anti-police rhetoric is quite a popular opinion among liberal Americans. The netizen added that those who support the cop in this situation should reconsider their stance as this might happen to their own family member.
So? Are you seriously trying to justify his actions? The 14 year old girl was not coming near him and was using her PHONE. If he had fired his gun and killed her it would have been murder. Your "kids are bad" theory doesn't apply here.
— debwagoner (@debrawagoner4) February 17, 2023
Others defended the officer saying that children can be dangerous too. This netizen claimed that a 10-year-old child murdered a woman her mother argued with and she adds that kids in 2023 are more dangerous than adults.
However, she received backlash over her statement as said 14-year-old girl was not doing anything harmful and she simply wanted to walk over to the scene with a smartphone in her hand. If the police officer were to shoot the kid, then it would be murder.
Debates on who is right
She had zero reason to do so. I’d refuse, too.
— Kanan Jarrus (ok no, not really a Jedi) (@Kanan_Jarrus_) February 17, 2023
Another Twitter user sided with the cop saying that the woman refused to comply with him. He asked her multiple times to stop resisting from being cuffed. Netizens don’t agree with the statement as they claim they will in fact do the same thing for a traffic infringement.
There are a range of viewpoints on this issue. Some netizens have pointed out that the woman did resist an officer, which may justify the use of force. However, others argue that law enforcement officials should not exert excessive power over individuals.
Regardless, it is clear that the experience was undoubtedly traumatic for the woman. While police officers play a crucial role in maintaining order and safety, they are also human beings who are capable of making mistakes or overstepping boundaries.