The city of Wichita Falls on Wednesday posted videos on the city’s YouTube channel of the controversial arrest of 20-year-old Victoria Lang.
The arrest prompted investigations that led to the dismissal and indictment of former officer Daniel Wilson and the resignation of ex-officer Douglas Gulley. The Texas Rangers conducted the criminal investigation.
What follows is a narrative description of the five videos taken from the body cameras of Wilson and Gulley and a police vehicle camera.
Body cam videos show the officers entering the McDonald’s restaurant at 1412 Holliday Street at 11:22 a.m. on Aug. 26 and Wilson approaching Lang in the women’s bathroom as a restaurant employee holds the door open.
As Lang comes out of a stall, Wilson asks her for ID.
Lang said, “Are you going to (inaudible) nicely, or … ?”
Wilson said, “How am I not being nice?”
He then told the McDonald’s employee to tell Lang she is barred from the store, which she does. Wilson asks Lang again for her ID.
Lang said she doesn’t have one.
Wilson said, “How can I bar somebody that I don’t know who they are? I’m about to take you to jail for interfering with public duties if you don’t identify yourself.”
Lang says, “Then take me in.”
She holds out her hands for handcuffs.
After the woman is handcuffed, the video shows a short scuffle as the officers take her to the floor and drag her from the restroom.
Body cam video shows Gulley dragging her by the arms and Wilson dragging her by the feet from the restaurant where another scuffle occurs on a sidewalk as Wilson yells at her to not reach into the bag she is carrying.
He holds her head against the sidewalk with one hand presses against her neck as Gulley cuts the strap of her bag with a knife.
Lang says, “On my neck. Quite literally. This is illegal. You’re literally trying to choke me.”
Wilson yells at her to stay down when she tries to stand and then drags her by the feet and on her back to a patrol vehicle where her legs are twisted as he hoists her horizontally across the backseat on her stomach. Wilson shoves her feet in over her back.
Lang gets herself upright and is seen and heard uttering expletives she is driven to the Wichita County Jail. Once there, Lang tells detention officers she is wrapped in the seat restraints. A detention officer helps her from the vehicle and escorts her inside.
Wilson searches her bag and finds her ID and a device he calls pepper spray.
“She was reaching for her purse, dude,” Wilson said to Gulley.
Inside the jail, Wilson’s body cam shows Lang remove ear studs and object to removing her head covering, which a male detention officer removes.
Lange requests all female guards.
But a male detention officer tells her no.
Wilson leaves the area.
Court records show misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and interfering with a public servant filed against Lang were later dropped.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that may be deemed offensive.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that may be deemed offensive.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that may be deemed offensive.
WARNING: This video contains strong language that may be deemed offensive.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: As it happened: Video and description of controversial Wichita Falls arrest
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
