A former deputy has been charged with assault after dashcam video showed him slapping a woman during a traffic stop.
NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — A former Oakland County Sheriff's deputy is facing a charge after allegedly assaulting a woman suspected of carjacking.
Prosecutors appearing in Novi say the video clearly shows a deputy committing assault, crossing the line during a stop with a woman already in handcuffs.
The scene is from November 2020 in Rochester Hills. Deputy Kevin McNally handcuffed a woman after she appeared to be defying instructions and behaving erratically.
She was suspected of carjacking, stealing a car, and doing donuts in a Meijer parking lot while intoxicated.
Video shows the woman in handcuffs kick the officer, then he responds by slapping her face, then pulling her by the hair, and taking her to the back of a patrol car.
That woman, Felicia Montgomery, appeared as a witness in court as the McNally faces a jury trial for misdemeanor assault and battery.
“I was being playful and flirtatious. Didn’t mean to hurt anyone” said Montgomery. She admitted to being severely intoxicated and not mentally stable at the time.
However, defense attorney Mitch Ribitwer questioned her recollection and highlighted she used force to carjack a victim.
“You forced her physically to give you her car, that was an assault correct?” he asked Montgomery. She replied “Yes.”
Ribitwer told the court that despite her being handcuffed at the time of the slap, she still posed a threat to the deputy kicking him more than once. The deputy was removed from the job after the incident.
Following the incident, the Sheriff said what happened was unacceptable. The trial continues in Novi, having been relocated to avoid possible conflicts.
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