An 18-year-old Black woman filed a federal lawsuit on August 5 against an Arkansas State Police trooper, alleging he slammed her to the ground and punched her in the face during a traffic stop on August 1. The lawsuit names trooper Moisses Arellano as the defendant and was filed by attorney Benjamin Crump.
The lawsuit states that Hackett posed no threat, was unarmed, and was suspected of only a minor traffic offense when stopped in Mississippi County. According to the complaint, Arellano struck Hackett after she questioned his actions and resisted handcuffing. The trooper’s own use-of-force report, cited in the lawsuit, states he delivered one closed-fist strike to her left face after she refused to roll onto her stomach. Arellano wrote that Hackett continued resisting by pulling her wrists away.
Hackett was booked into Mississippi County jail at 12:51 a.m. on August 2 on five charges: improper display of tags, a restriction on vehicle lamps, no seatbelt, purchase or possession of alcohol by a minor, and refusal to submit to arrest. The lawsuit accuses Arellano of initiating criminal charges to shield himself from discipline and civil liability.
Video footage from the trooper’s dashcam, which has circulated online, shows the encounter. In the recording, Arellano can be heard on the radio discussing Hackett’s traffic violations before the physical altercation. The trooper reported stopping her for driving 71 mph in a 60-mph zone and noted she had a cold, unopened bottle of Tito’s vodka in the passenger seat. He also mentioned a prior warning she received days earlier for a hot, unopened alcohol container.
The Arkansas State Police did not respond to requests for comment. NBC News and Newsweek were unable to reach Arellano for comment. Attorney Benjamin Crump has called for a use-of-force investigation, stating that the trooper’s actions were unjustified. Crump said Hackett was asking what she had done wrong when she was struck.
The lawsuit seeks damages and a federal review of the trooper’s conduct. It alleges that Arellano’s use of force violated Hackett’s constitutional rights and constituted excessive force under state and federal law.