Disturbing video showing an 84-year-old woman being pepper sprayed by officers in Oklahoma has prompted an internal investigation by the local police department.
The footage taken inside the woman's home on Aug. 7 shows Geneva Smith and her son being forcibly taken into custody after Muskogee police officers kicked open her front door, Fox 23 News reported.
Seconds after Smith is sprayed in her face, she falls to the floor and her hands are secured behind her back. Other video shows her son being hit with a stun gun as he stands with his hands in the air.
The video, taken from officers' body cameras, was released by the police department over the weekend in a bid to promote transparency, according to the local station.
Police said they were looking for Smith's son, 56-year-old Arthur Paul Blackmon, who was seen running into his mother's house just before 3 a.m. Officers pursued Blackmon after he allegedly drove through a stop sign and then refused to pull over, The Muskogee Phoenix reported.
Smith, who said she was briefly hospitalized after suffering a panic attack in jail, has since accused the officers of using excessive force. She told Fox 23 News that she plans to take legal action.
“I just came out and asked what was going on and they just pepper sprayed me,” Smith told the local station.
Muskogee's police chief cautioned that there are still a lot of questions that need answering.
“This is a very important issue. There is a lot of missing information out there. There is a lot of prejudgment out there and a lot of concern,” Chief Rex Eskridge told Fox 23 News.
Blackmon was charged with driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, obstructing an officer, driving with a suspended license, and carrying a weapon, the Muskogee Phoenix reported, citing court documents.
Police did not immediately return a request for comment Sunday.
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