Investigation launched after police officer filmed punching woman on beach

20-year-old woman faces charges of aggravated assault on an officer

Police in New Jersey are investigating an a video appearing to show a police officer punching a woman in the head while trying to subdue her.

The incident involving 20-year-old Emily Weinman of Philadelphia, took place on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey and was filmed by another beachgoer.

The officers involved have been put on administrative leave as the police department investigates.

In a now-deleted post on Facebook about the incident, Ms Weinman wrote: “I had alcohol, it’s Memorial Day weekend and 90 per cent of people are underage drinking on the beach, without a doubt”.

Ms Weinman was with her daughter, her daughter’s father, and a friend according to her post. “Two cops approach me on a their four wheelers and ask me and my friend how old we are, we gave them our ages,” after which police administered a breathalyser test.

“It came back negative. I told them I wasn’t drinking and the alcohol was clearly closed/sealed, which the cops seen,” Ms Weinman said.

On the video, she can be seen kicking one of the officers after which he attempted to subdue her. She can be heard saying: “You’re not allowed to hit me like that …choke me like that …I didn’t do anything wrong”.

Other voices on the video can be heard telling Ms Weinman to “stop resisting”.

Ms Weinman said she had refused to give her name to the police to write her up, presumably for a citation, which is when the officer said he was going to arrest her.

He “started coming towards me to put handcuffs on me. I cautiously was backing up from him (facing him) and yelled for my daughters father... I tripped and fell and the cop tackled me to the ground and smashed my head into the sand. At that point I blacked out and fought any way possible trying to get up and push him off me. That’s when he head locked me me by his arm around my neck, punched on me in my head and then he head locked me again but this time choking me,” Ms Weinman said in the Facebook post.

Police claimed Ms Weinman was underage and inebriated at the time, refusing to show her ID, kicking a police officer in the genitals, and running away.

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

The officers in question have not been identified as yet. Wildwood Chief of Police Robert Regalbuto said in statement he “finds this video to be alarming, he does not want to rush to any judgment until having the final results of the investigation”.