Video footage recorded by Taneisha Thompson on her phone reveals the tense moments during a traffic stop in North Texas, where a simple citation turned into a confrontation with police. This incident, which has prompted community concern and a formal complaint, involves allegations of excessive force by a Hurst police officer.
The Hurst Police Department reports that the events unfolded on January 16, 2026, during a traffic stop. Officers pulled over Thompson for allegedly speeding in a school zone, a routine procedure that took an unexpected turn.
Thompson’s video captures the crucial moments as the encounter intensified. The situation escalated when Thompson refused to accept the speeding citation and repeatedly requested to speak with a supervisor. The tension mounted after she declined the ticket, and the officer handed it to her regardless. In response, Thompson tossed the citation out of her car window.
“That’s your citation, that’s littering — step out of the car,” the officer can be heard saying in the footage recorded by Thompson, marking a pivotal moment in the interaction.
The video shows an officer telling Thompson to take the ticket, when she declined and repeatedly asked for a supervisor, the situation intensified. The incident escalated when an officer handed her the citation, and she tossed it out of her window.
“That’s your citation, that’s littering — step out of the car,” the officer is heard saying in Thompson’s footage.
After the publication of this story, Hurst police released the body camera footage of the traffic stop, which shows the vantage point of the arresting officer and two other officers who assisted in detaining Thompson.
“We are sharing body camera footage to provide additional context to a traffic stop that occurred on January 16, 2026. This is an effort to clear up misconceptions and be fully transparent with our community members,” the caption on the video says.
The body camera video shows the moments before Thompson started recording on her phone. You can see her phone propped on the dashboard in the officer’s body camera. Here is the video released by Hurst police:
As shown in both videos, Thompson refused to exit the vehicle, telling the officer not to touch her and continuing to request a supervisor. At one point, she can be heard saying, “Call your supervisor,” to which the officer responded, “I am the supervisor.”
Her 15-year-old son, who was in the car during the incident, is heard in the video pleading with the officer to stop as the situation escalated.
Footage shows the officer grabbing Thompson by the neck and attempting to pull her from the vehicle. Moments later, she is taken to the ground as additional officers arrive and arrest her. She was arrested for littering and charged with resisting arrest, Hurst PD said.
Thompson’s attorney, Lee Merritt, described the encounter as an “unimaginable escalation” and said his client suffered injuries, including a black eye and a torn lip that required stitches. A formal lawsuit has not been filed.
Merritt also said Thompson believed she was being racially profiled and argued the stop and arrest were unlawful.
“We believe that there was an illegal stop and an unlawful arrest,” Merritt said.
A formal complaint alleging excessive use of force was filed, prompting an Internal Affairs investigation by the Hurst Police Department.
The department said the investigation found no wrongdoing.
“On January 16, 2026, Hurst officers conducted a traffic stop that resulted in an arrest. A formal complaint was filed on January 20, 2026, claiming excessive use of force and an Internal Affairs Investigation was opened. A thorough investigation was conducted, the claims submitted were determined to be unfounded, and the Internal Affairs Investigation was closed.
We are aware of the community concern about this situation, and we are committed to remaining transparent. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the charges stemming from the original traffic stop. Because of this, we are unable to release additional information at this time.
The Hurst Police Department is dedicated to protecting our community and enforcing local, state, and federal laws. Public support and well-established lines of communication are of utmost importance to our Department.”
The department also stated the officer involved was not disciplined “because his actions did not violate policy.”
However, law enforcement expert Dr. Alex Del Carmen, who reviewed Thompson’s cell phone video in an interview with WFAA, said the officer’s actions appear to show unnecessary escalation.
“There’s clearly an escalation,” Del Carmen said, adding that the officer had other options, such as issuing another citation, stepping away, or calling for another officer to intervene.
“At that point, he loses his cool, and you cannot afford to do that as a police officer,” he said.
Del Carmen said that in his 28 years of experience training officers across the nation, similar incidents in other departments would likely result in disciplinary action.
The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to review the case. Meanwhile, Thompson’s attorney said a federal lawsuit is being considered.
At the end of the Hurst police video, the Hurst police chief said the DA has accepted charges of resisting arrest after reviewing all evidence submitted by Hurst police.
