Woman Punched By NJ Cop In Video Speaks Out, Rips Mayor Remarks

WILDWOOD, NJ — The attorney for a woman who was punched in the head by a cop, all caught on a video that went viral during a Memorial Day weekend beach incident, called the mayor's defense of the police "outrageous" and plans to fight the charges against her.

Stephen Dicht, an attorney for Emily Weinman, said the 20-year-old Philadelphia woman was spitting sand out of her mouth – not spitting at officers – when they were arresting her on the Wildwood beach on Saturday.

As for potential action Weinman may take against the town or the officers, Dicht said: "We're keeping all the options open at this point." Repeated attempts by Patch to obtain direct comment from Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano have been unsuccessful.

Dicht noted that Troiano has admitted that he hasn't even seen the bodycam footage that is supposed to show the entirety of the incident, despite saying police "were doing their job" because the woman "refused to comply" with their orders.

"He hasn't even seen it so where does he does he come off making comments like that?" Dicht said. "Don't go trashing a victim of police brutality before the facts are out."

Police said they're ready to release bodycam footage that could help explain why a cop punched a woman in the head in a day or two.

(See video below – WARNING: graphic material; viewer discretion advised).

Weinman was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault by spitting bodily fluids at a police officer, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstruction and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

In a statement, Chief Robert Regalbuto said that while he finds this video to be "alarming," he does not want to rush to any judgement until having the final results of the investigation. The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office also said it is reviewing the matter.

Weinman, who acknowledged she is under 21 years old but said she didn't do anything wrong, said in a now-deleted weekend Facebook post that she was sore and had a headache after the incident. She said the incident started because she didn't want to give her information to the police.

Dicht took particularly exception to Troiano's remarks in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The mayor was quoted as saying: “Everybody’s trying to paint this young lady as an upstanding model citizen...She’s on probation for four years. She chose to attack the officer, spit on the officer."

"Look I don’t care who you are and what you are, the worst people [to try to subdue] are women,” the mayor said in the report.

Dicht said the police appeared to over the line for something that could have been handled without getting physical. "If a police officer asks you for your name and you don't give it, does that give you the right to pound her?" Dicht said. He also claimed that her face "was pushed into the sand."

In a Philadelphia Inquirer report, Weinman said: "The cops smashed my head into the ground when he tackled me and I spit the sand out of my mouth ... So no, it is not true."

Wildwood police have asked anyone who was at the scene of the arrest, particularly those who have supporting video that could assist in the probe, to contact Detective Lt. Kenneth Gallagher at 609-522-0222. The Cape May County Prosecutors Office, Professional Standards Unit will also be assisting in this investigation.

Here is the video:

YouTube video/photo