CHP Answers Excessive Force Charge In Beating Of Woman On Side Of Freeway

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —   The California Highway Patrol responded Thursday to a YouTube video showing an officer punching a woman along the side of the freeway.

The CHP officer is shown punching the woman on the ground more than 11 times in the face.

She doesn't appear in the video clip to resist.

On Thursday, the CHP issued a statement that said: "The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is aware of the video and we are looking into the incident. As a matter of policy, every time there is a use of force by our officers, there is a review conducted to determine whether the use of force was appropriate. That will be done in this case, however, since there is an ongoing investigation, it would be premature to comment on this specific video segment without reviewing the entire incident."

The confrontation was caught on cellphone video by a man driving by.

On the YouTube video, he seems shocked that the officer is hitting the woman. What started the confrontation and what triggered the rough takedown and arrest is unclear.

The video was shot along the 10 Freeway near La Brea Avenue early Tuesday evening.

When the video starts, the officer is seen trying to detain the woman. She gets a few steps away from him, but he gets her to the ground.

He briefly struggles with her before repeatedly punching her in the face.

After a few moments, a plainclothes officer enters the picture and helps the CHP officer put the woman in handcuffs.

The man who shot the video identifies himself as a music producer who lives in Los Angeles.

David Diaz told CBS2's Rachel Kim he was horrified to have witnessed the confrontation.

He called it a definite case of police brutality.

Diaz said he saw the barefoot woman walking around the off-ramp when he noticed a CHP officer chase her around a truck.

He said the punches were "excessive and brutal."

"He just pounded her," Diaz said. "If you look at the video, there are 15 hits. To the head, and not just simple jabs. These are blows to the head. Blows. Really serious blows. And this is ridiculous to me."

He added, "I find it hard to believe there [was] no other remedy in this situation."