Kansas City, Mo. – Two police officers in Kansas City, Mo., have been charged with the assault of a black transgender woman while arresting her in May 2019.
The officers, Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard, were arresting Brianna Hill after she got into an argument at a beauty supply store according to a report from the Associated Press.
The video “shows the officers kneeing the woman in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed,” the AP reports.
David Smith, a lawyer for Hill’s family, said he was “thrilled” the officers had been charged and was optimistic that the charges would be upgraded to a felony
“That’s what these officers deserve,” Smith said in an interview.
The officers’ union, the Fraternal Order of Police, likewise said the charges are not justified and that Hill never filed a complaint or sought medical treatment.