Hurst police say use-of-force claims are unfounded, but an attorney and law enforcement expert question the officer’s actions as the DA review continues.
HURST, Texas — A routine traffic stop in North Texas has sparked community concern and a formal complaint after a woman accused a Hurst police officer of using excessive force during an arrest captured on video.
According to the Hurst Police Dept., the incident happened Jan. 16, 2026, when Hurst officers conducted a traffic stop involving Taneisha Thompson, who was accused of speeding through a school zone.
Footage captured by Thompson’s phone shows the moments the encounter escalated after Thompson refused to accept a citation.
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 the footage.
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 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.