Woman Punched By NJ Cops Speaks, Doesn't Apologize (Video)

WILDWOOD, NJ — The woman whose beating by police on a New Jersey beach was captured in two viral videos went on a media blitz Wednesday to say she's not sorry for her behavior and to defend herself against allegations that she mistreated police.

Emily Weinman, 20, of Philadelphia also said the decision not to press charges against the New Jersey police officer who punched her, all caught on a video that went viral and in bodycam footage, shows that the police think they can "get away with it."

"In my eyes, I'm not a criminal. I'm not a bad person," Weinman told CBS This Morning in a video shown below. Weinman also appeared on Good Morning America one day after prosecutors announced that they won't press charges against the police.

The punching happened on Memorial Day weekend and was captured in graphic videos that horrified many, while many others also stood up to support the police (see the videos below).

"You're about to get dropped," one of the officers told the 20-year-old woman just before police grabbed her, tussled with her and then punched her.

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.

Weinman, who is also on probation for an unrelated simple misdemeanor simple assault charge, acknowledged that she gave police a "little attitude" when they approached her about alcohol on the beach, which she said was sealed.

"Just a little," she said. "I don't see it as a big issue."

Weinman also said she was not spitting at the officers. "When he smashed my head into the ground, I had all this sand in my mouth," she said."When they got me on my stomach, I turned around and spit it out."

Weinman, appearing with her attorney, Stephen Dicht, said she's sorry that the whole incident happened "but I don't owe them an apology.

"They think that because they're cops, they can get away with it, and that's not the case. That's not right," she said.

Here is interview video:

Dicht has called the Cape May County Prosecutor Office's decision not to prosecute the police "ridiculous" but "not surprising," saying it continues a pattern of enabling alleged police brutality.

Dicht did tell Patch a judge in Philadelphia ruled Tuesday that Weinman did not violate her probation, related to a previously unrelated arrest and conviction, when she was charged in the Wildwood incident.

In a statement, Jeffrey H. Sutherland, Cape May County prosecutor, said the preliminary investigation consisted of reviewing the bodycam footage, a review of video taken by an individual on the beach as well as interviews with several witnesses.

"As county prosecutor, I recognize that the video footage has raised a lot of questions regarding the officers' actions. A decision (not to prosecute) is not based on emotion; it is based upon applying the proper laws, policies and directives that govern law enforcement," Sutherland said.

Read more: Prosecutors Won't Charge NJ Cop Who Punched Woman On Beach

Dicht said a state Superior Court hearing on Weinman's charges is scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 15 at Cape May County Courthouse. He said the 20-year-old, despite suffering from depression stemming from the incident, has been receiving "tremendous support" from people throughout the country.

"For every one negative comment, there are 5 positives," he said.

The bodycam footage was released after a social media video of the Wildwood incident was posted on Facebook by Weinman, who said she went to the beach with her daughter, her father and a friend this Memorial Day weekend when the incident occurred. She has since taken the post down, although it initially was posted by an onlooker on Twitter.

Read more: Stunned, Strong Reactions To Bodycam Of NJ Cop Punching Woman

Gov. Phil Murphy, who said last week that he hadn't seen the videos, did say that based on what he's heard, "it's pretty darned disturbing."

But Murphy also said that everyone should await the outcome of the various probes into the matter before deciding what action needs to be taken. The governor has not yet commented on the bodycam video.

The two officers, who were not identified, have been reassigned to administrative duty pending the outcome of the Wildwood internal affairs probe.

Here are the beach videos:

YouTube video/photo