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Body camera footage appears to show OKC officer arguing, pushing woman to the ground
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Body camera footage appears to show OKC officer arguing, pushing woman to the ground

An Oklahoma City police officer remains on paid administrative leave after being charged with felony assault and battery that reportedly left a woman with a knot on her head and the inability to use her left arm for several days.

Rasaun Gordon, 29, faces the charge in Oklahoma County District Court. An attorney for Gordon could not immediately be reached for comment.

Around 3:25 a.m. on Sept. 15, Gordon responded to a noise complaint at a residence in the 5500 block of Rockwood Avenue. There, he found several people listening to music and drinking alcohol in the alley.

Police body camera footage shows a confrontation ensued as Gordon swore as he told the group to enter the residence. One person collected a cooler while others stayed where they were.

What happened in the incident, body camera footage

One of the people, Llulisa Carranza, is described as the only person in the group who spoke English well, according to an affidavit filed by an officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit.

While holding a can of beer, she told Gordon not to talk to the group the way he did.

Gordon told him that the group shouldn’t be waking people up at 3am

Carranza said they don’t wake anyone up.

“Then why was I called?” Gordon asked.

“Because she’s racist,” Carranza said, referring to a neighbor who called about the noise.

Gordon said the caller was a man.

Gordon and Carranza argued about public intoxication. Carranza is heard saying that he is paying Gordon.

“I pay taxes too, fool,” Gordon is heard saying.

The group moved toward the garage as Carranza said he understood his rights. Gordon told her she was about to be arrested.

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“It’s called disorderly conduct. Look at this,” he said.

Gordon is heard calling Carranza “a smart . . .”

He tells Carranza that if he is called to the residence again, she and the others will go to jail. While Carranza was in the garage, Gordon, who at one point was several feet away, is seen walking toward her as the discussion continued.

“There were numerous opportunities for (Gordon) to disengage and leave the residence once they complied,” the Internal Affairs officer wrote in the affidavit.

Carranza went right outside the garage and Gordon became “irritated with Carranza for allegedly arguing,” according to the affidavit.

He quickly approached Carranza as she sat near the back of a vehicle with her arms crossed.

“Go…inside now,” Gordon is heard saying as he appears to force Carranza back into the garage.

Carranza went back several feet before falling to the ground and hitting his head on an object in the garage, according to the affidavit. After pushing Carranza, Gordon grabbed a man near the garage by the shirt and pulled him toward the garage.

“She did not act in a manner consistent with being a threat to the defendant or anyone else around,” the affidavit states. “(Gordon’s) actions were not consistent with the physical arrest of a compliant person. The push exceeded any reasonable force authorized in this incident.”

After getting back on his feet, Carranza quickly approached Gordon and asked for his badge number.

“Gordon told Carranza that she was arrested for touching his shoulder, which did not occur,” the affidavit states.

Gordon drove Carranza to the grass where he delivered a leg sweep takedown. He then appeared to turn Carranza onto her stomach and forcefully twist her left arm behind her back.

“Congratulations, you just bought yourself a ticket to jail,” Gordon is heard saying.

Gordon handcuffed Carranza and placed her in his police vehicle. She told Gordon she hoped she had the camera on.

Gordon told Carranza she was being arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.

Gordon later attempted to release Carranza at the scene and “denied her eight separate requests to speak with a supervisor,” according to the affidavit.

Sergeant placed on administrative leave following the incident

Instead of transporting her to jail, Gordon took her to rehab where she tested with a blood alcohol content of 0.046 percent, according to the affidavit. The legal blood alcohol limit in Oklahoma is 0.08%.

Gordon allegedly failed to fill out a police report documenting the arrest or use of force incident.

“The defendant did not report the incident to his supervisor,” the affidavit states. “The defendant merely added comments to the computer-aided dispatch system and was dishonest with what was documented.”

Carranza sought medical treatment. She was diagnosed with bone contusion and swelling in one elbow. She suffered a head contusion with a nodule that remained for more than 10 days, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that Carranza was unable to use his left arm for daily tasks for more than 10 days. She maintains a limited range of motion in her elbow and requires physical therapy.

Police issued the following statement on Monday:

“The Oklahoma City Police Department has completed an investigation into an allegation of misconduct involving Sergeant Rasaun Gordon. At the start of the investigation, Sgt. Gordon has been placed on paid administrative leave, which status remains in effect.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings were forwarded to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office, which resulted in the filing of a state felony charge of assault and battery against the officer. In the interest of transparency and public trust, the department has released footage of the body-worn camera incident.

The Oklahoma City Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and accountability.”

This article originally appeared on The Oklahoman: The OKC officer remains on paid leave during the assault and battery case