Arkansas trooper punched an 18-year-old Black woman during a traffic stop. Now she is suing

Ten days after dashcam video showed an Arkansas state trooper slamming an 18-year-old Black woman to the ground and punching her in the face, Alisa Hackett is suing the officer. She is bringing the case against Trooper Moisses Arellano over a traffic stop on August 1 near Manila, Arkansas.

According to the account, Arellano pulled Hackett over for speeding, saying he clocked her at 71 miles per hour in a 60 zone with her hazard lights on. Hackett has said she was rushing home because her car window had broken. She questioned the trooper about why she was being stopped and objected to his orders, and he moved to place her under arrest.

What happened next spread quickly online and drew backlash from civil rights groups and the NAACP. During the struggle, which Hackett says began when she pulled away as he tried to handcuff her, the trooper took her to the ground and punched her in the face. On the dashcam audio, Hackett can be heard crying that he could not punch her. The trooper’s reply, captured on the recording, was dismissive.

Hackett has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, whose involvement has amplified the case alongside commentator Van Jones. In a statement, Crump said the trooper wrote in his own use-of-force report that he used a closed fist because Hackett would not roll onto her stomach, and he pressed the department to explain how that could be a reasonable response to a teenager at a traffic stop.

Notably, the Arkansas State Police department’s own use-of-force report confirms the trooper struck Hackett. She was examined by EMS afterward, and authorities reported no visible injuries, though she complained of pain. She faces charges including refusal to submit to arrest, underage possession of alcohol, and speeding.

The lawsuit alleges excessive force, a violation of her First Amendment rights, two violations of her civil rights, abuse of process, and battery. In a detail that stands out, Hackett is suing Arellano specifically rather than the entire police force.

The Drew County branch of the NAACP said it was deeply concerned that a stop over nonviolent offenses escalated into a teenager being taken to the pavement and struck by a state trooper, and asked why the encounter escalated at all. Arkansas State Police say all uses of force are under review.