Police officer caught on video punching woman in the face

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave

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Jeff Bonar, a police officer in Flagstaff, Arizona, has been placed on paid administrative leave on Wednesday after punching a woman in the face during an arrest. A witness captured the entire altercation was captured on a cellphone by a bystander.

The seven-minute footage show the unidentified woman argues that she knows her rights and that the officer cannot legally arrest her. “I know my laws,” she says in the video. “You can’t arrest me until I know that I have a warrant.”

Officer Bonar repeatedly tells her to “stop resisting,” and when a struggle ensues, he strikes her in the face with an open fist. Several witnesses immediately respond by yelling, “you can’t hit her like that.” As the woman begins to cry, the officer threatens to tase her if she doesn’t sit on the ground.

The Flagstaff Police Department issued a statement late Wednesday announcing that they are aware of the footage and an investigation into the officer’s actions are underway.