LYNN — Police are investigating an officer’s use of force after a video depicting him repeatedly punching a woman in the face while she was on the floor circulated on social media over the weekend.
The video shows a woman, Jessica Wagle, laying face-up on the floor screaming while Lynn Police Officer Benjamin Chez pepper sprays her, then punches her in the face four consecutive times after Wagle shouts profanities at the police.
(Reader warning: This video contains the use of profanity and violence.)
Officer Jamie Rosas, who can be seen in the video restraining the woman’s legs, wrote in a police report that he and Chez were dispatched to an apartment building at 33 High St. around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Resident Arthur Looby had called the police to report an unwanted guest, who was identified as Jessica Wagle, in his apartment.
When Lynn Police dispatch informed the officers that Wagle had two warrants issued for her arrest, Chez went into a room in the apartment to attempt to handcuff her. Rosas wrote that Wagle resisted arrest, continuing to fight and pull away from officers, and attempted to kick them in the second-floor hallway.
“After multiple unsuccessful wristlock manipulations, Officer Chez pulled her to the floor and told her ‘you’re under arrest!’” Rosas wrote. “Once Jessica was on the floor, Jessica attempted to bite me and reached for my service weapon.”
Rosas wrote that he and Chez believed Wagle was under the influence of stimulants during the interaction. Wagle, Rosas wrote, swung her arms “wildly about” with one wrist handcuffed before Chez warned her that if she continued to fight, she would be pepper sprayed.
Wagle did not heed Chez’s warning. The officer then sprayed Wagle for one second, Rosas wrote. He added that the spray bounced off Wagle’s face into Chez’s eyes.
With Chez unable to open his eyes fully, and Wagle continuing her attempts to push the officers off of her, Chez punched Wagle four times to stop the fight, Rosas wrote.
“Due to the pepper spray having no observable effect on Jessica, her continuous assaultive behavior to get us off her, and the length of the fight, and now with Officer Chez incapacitated, Officer Chez executed four punches at Jessica in order to stop this fight immediately,” Rosas wrote.
Neighboring resident Shyanne Pike said that she stepped outside of her apartment building Sunday morning to record the incident after she heard yelling and commotion in the hall.
Pike said that Wagle appeared to be either intoxicated or experiencing a mental health episode in the hallway. She said she heard Wagle scream that she needed an EMT, and that when police tried to handcuff her, she saw Wagle resist arrest, pulling away from the officers. However, she said she did not see her assault or kick either officers.
Pike added that she saw Chez flip Wagle over his shoulders onto the ground before he pepper sprayed her. She said Chez would not identify himself when she asked the officer for his name, and that she felt unsafe as a witness.
“It was highly uncalled for and unacceptable,” Pike said.
With Rosas laying on Wagle’s legs to prevent her from kicking, the officers rolled Wagle on her stomach, handcuffed her, and arrested her for resisting arrest, disorderly arrest, and two counts of assault and battery on a police officer.
Wagle’s arraignment was rescheduled for Friday morning at Lynn District Court.
Police Chief Christopher Reddy said in an interview Tuesday that the Lynn Police Department is thoroughly investigating the use of force in the incident.
“We are doing a careful and thorough review as we do with every use of force incident,” Reddy said. “It is important to review all of the facts before making any judgment.”
