Bethany Nava, who's only 18, was en route to the Department of Motor Vehicles when the officer told her to move her foot. When she refused, he said, “I already told you what to do. You disobeyed me. You’re getting off the train.”
The cop manhandled Nava, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the train doors as she shouted, “I paid to be on this train! Stop! Let me go! Stop!”
Fellow passenger Brock Bryan recorded a 10-minute video of the scene, which amassed seven million views by Wednesday. In the video, you can hear Bryan’s voice as he pressed the officer for answers. “Over her foot? Really? That’s really abuse of power, officer. Over her foot on a seat? She wasn’t blocking anybody else from sitting down.”
As more cops showed up, Bryan commented, “So many police over two women.”
According to the CW-affiliated television station KTLA, the police arrested Nava for being loud and boisterous in public. They also arrested 22-year-old Selina Lechuga for purportedly spitting on an officer. Lechuga defended Nava during the incident.
As the cops left the train station with Nava and Lechuga, and more people arrived, Bryan explained the situation. “We all break train laws—we all eat on the train, people smoke on the train, people fight on the train,” He told the crowd. “Don’t go to jail over eating on the train, don’t go to jail for putting your foot on a seat. It’s ridiculous.”
Nava's mother told KTLA that her daughter was hospitalized due to a sprained wrist. The L.A. Police Department has decided to further examine the incident and has opened a force-of-use investigation. Nava intends to hire a lawyer.
