Police Officer Punching 15-Year Old Girl and Arresting Her

News: July 14, 2007 Caught On Tape July 14, 2007 in Ft Pierce Florida: A police officer is caught on tape fighting with a 15-year old girl and arresting her in Ft. Pierce Florida. The cop twists the 15-year-old's arm right up behind her back to almost breaking point before the girl appears to bite the officer, upon which the cop punches the girl and pepper sprays her directly in the face. At the point were she bites the cop, all hell brakes loose...Should cops focus more on the threats within our society, rather then arresting a 15yr old breaking cerfew...just bring her home! WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A controversy is brewing in South Florida over a dash-camera video showing a Fort Pierce police officer punching a 15-year-old girl while she is resisting arrest, WPBF News 25 reported. The tape indicates Fort Pierce police Officer Daniel Gilroy turned on his dash-camera and recorded the arrest of 15-year-old Shelwand Riley, who police said was violating the city's curfew and acting suspiciously. She was allegedly carrying a garbage bag full of new clothes with tags still attached, WPBF reported. Riley's aunt, Gloria Smith, said the tape shows police brutality and excessive force, even though her niece bit the arresting officer on the arm. "Well, she did that after his aggressive behavior. He never stated why he was appending her. Her rights were never read to her; she was violated all the way," Smith said. The videotape shows Gilroy punching Riley with his fist and spraying her with pepper spray after she bit him, WPBF reported. In a letter released to the press over the weekend, Ft. Pierce Police Chief R. Sean Baldwin said that the video, which has recently attracted national attention, was hard for him to watch. "It is always disturbing to see a police officer apply force to a juvenile, even when it is legal and justified. Likewise, it is disturbing to see a juvenile biting an officer," Baldwin said. Baldwin said he has reached out to Riley's family in an attempt to hear any complaints that they may have, but that the family has not responded, according to the release. He also said that he believed Gilroy had the right to defend himself. "While the video is disturbing, I trust that the members of our community understand that officers have a right, and even an obligation, to protect themselves from violent attacks, Baldwin said. The videotape indicates that Riley was placed into the back seat of an officer's patrol vehicle and officers attempted to wash off the pepper spray using a bottle of water. Riley appeared in court last week represented by a public defender, who refused to comment on the case, WPBF reported. The teen pleaded not guilty to a resisting-arrest charge. According to court documents, the case is expected to go to trial in November, where a judge will decide whether the officer used excessive force in the arrest. Baldwin said the case and Gilroy's actions are still under investigation.