A newly released video from January 6 shows a woman at the U.S. Capitol being struck by police nearly 40 times in the span of about 4 minutes. This video was previously under government seal until recently when a federal judge ordered its release after the woman in question was charged with several felonies in relation to the January 6 protests.
In the video, a 39-year-old woman from Minnesota, Victoria White, is seen being beaten by a police baton, receiving several punches, being grabbed and shaken by the hair, and being sprayed with pepper spray. The surveillance video comes from just inside the Capitol’s west tunnel entrance.
White’s attorney, Joseph McBride, insists the beating his client took was a crime and wants the police’s behavior to be thoroughly investigated. “A special prosecutor without a doubt should be appointed,” McBride told The Epoch Times. “There needs to be an independent investigation.”
The Epoch Times was able to obtain video clips from the released footage showing the woman being struck by the police. White is identified as the woman in the red. A police officer in a white uniform shirt and helmet with “MPDC” on it was also striking another protester in the video footage.
The Epoch Times reported additional details of the video:
About one minute into the video, White slumped down near the floor and was struck twice with a collapsible baton. She covered her head with her arm. The officer thrust the butt of the baton at her and then struck at her head. His baton got stuck in the crook of her arm and he yanked it back while her arms were flailing. An officer standing above her sprayed pepper spray in her eyes from fewer than 12 inches away.
Over the next minute, she received several baton blows and several stabs from the baton. In a roughly 10-second period, the officer in white struck White’s head eight times, then punched her with his left fist. About three minutes into the video, the officer made a fist and punched White in the face and head six times. Another police officer—with both hands on his baton—jammed the butt of the weapon at her face and then rammed her with the baton 10 times, the video shows.
Numerous times, White is seen gripping the edge of a riot shield in what appeared to be attempts to stand. She was pushed back and forth as the crowd of police moved about. At about the four minute, 30 second mark, White was semi-reclined and looked at two of the police and said something. She earlier told an interviewer that she reminded them of the oath they took to defend the Constitution. One of the officers grabbed her arm, pushed her away and then pulled her back, causing her to fall to the floor.
White has been charged with knowingly entering and remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, impeding or attempting to impede law enforcement officers performing official duties, and obstruction of Congress.
As Epoch Times reported, White was repeatedly pushed back into the tunnel. McBride said, “She didn’t do anything wrong that day. She got pushed into a tunnel. We’re going to make sure they’re held accountable.”
“We are going to defend her with the full force of truth,” McBride added. “and we are going to pursue justice for her because that is exactly what she needs and what she deserves. We’re going to hold the person and the people that hurt her accountable to the fullest extent of the law. There’s no doubt about it.”
Watch the video clip here.
