Chicago's police oversight agency is investigating a struggle early Saturday between a white officer and a black woman walking her dog that 'knocked her out of her shoes.'
In the two-minute video, Nikkita Brown and her small dog walk away from an officer at Lincoln Park as he follows closely behind and gestures sternly for her to move back.
After Brown turns around with her phone in her hand, the officer tries to grab it, triggering a minute-long physical struggle in which he puts her in a body lock, causing her to drop her phone.
'Let go!' she screams as she struggles to break free from the unidentified officer.
Nikkita Brown was walking her dog shortly after midnight Saturday in Chicago's Lincoln Park, according to her attorneys
They say she was on her way out when the officer 'brutally' attacked her 'for no reason'
Multiple videos show the pair engaging in a minute-long physical altercation during which Brown drops her phone and the officer puts her in a body lock
Brown and the officer then pick up their belongings and walk in opposite directions.
Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability opened its investigation Sunday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she was 'deeply concerned' by widely circulated video of the incident, and Chicago's police superintendent asked the public for patience as the incident is investigated.
A law office representing Nikkita Brown said in a statement on Facebook that she was near the lakefront with her dog about 12.12am Saturday when a Chicago police officer approached her for being in the area after the park was closed.
On Monday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was 'deeply concerned' by the footage
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown asked for patience as the city's police oversight agency investigates the matter
Brown's attorneys accused the officer of 'violently' attacking their client 'for absolutely no reason' and knocking 'her out of her shoes.'
'He attempts to tackle her, all while groping her body as she screams for help,' the attorneys say in the statement.
'This unprovoked attack lasts for approximately two minutes, during this time Ms. Brown´s phone is knocked from her hands and she is knocked out of her shoes.'
Brown's attorneys said she returned home after the incident, called 911 and filed a report with a sergeant, though the attorneys said they haven't received a copy of that report.
The police oversight agency, COPA, says it's in contact with Brown's attorneys
They allege the encounter was racially motivated, noting there were several other individuals in the park that night, including a group of about four white people walking some distance behind Brown.
'This was an obvious case of racial profiling,' the attorneys said in their statement, which said that Brown is suffering 'emotional trauma' from the 'brutal, unprovoked and unlawful attack.'
Additionally, they say the officer was unmasked and violated social distancing rules after Brown asked him to stay six feet away from her.
The Saulter Law firm said their client was 'knocked out of her shoes' by the incident
Bystanders were left troubled by the cop's behavior.
'Is he serious?' a voice asks behind the camera in one video.
In video captured from another angle, two people behind the camera say, 'Ay, watch the dog. He's tripping, bro. Like what?'
The Chicago Police Department said it was aware of the video and referred the matter to the oversight agency, which opened an investigation shortly after being notified of the incident.
The agency tweeted that it was in contact with Brown's attorneys.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said Monday morning that the officer seen in the video had not yet been interviewed by investigators.
'Apparently there was a closure of that area of the beach and then that precipitated the interaction. We don´t yet know what was done or said. All we know is this person was not arrested and yet the officer had, obviously you see the interaction on the video,' he said at a news conference.
Brown asked the public for patience as the incident is investigated and to 'allow COPA to do its job and get to the bottom of what happened.'
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