TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- The City of Trenton settled a federal lawsuit that alleged a police officer assaulted a woman when she took out her phone to record arrests at a bar in 2019.
Last week, the City Council in Trenton awarded Elizabeth Cisco $40,000.
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According to officials, in March 2019, Cisco was working at Championship Bar on Chambers Street, but was there one night as a patron when arrests were being made outside of the bar by Trenton police.
Cisco left the bar and pulled out her phone and began recording the commotion, according to her 2021 federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit also claimed Cisco asked police what was going on, but only got back responses that included "I don’t know, I wasn’t here dummy," and another officer answered that one person was under arrest for "talking s*** to the cops."
Cisco began recording a third arrestee when a police officer aggressively approached her, snatched her phone and threw her against a wall, then down to the pavement, the suit claims.
She suffered a black eye as well as cuts on her body. Her glasses were also broken during the incident.
Cisco was charged with resisting arrest and failing to disperse which were dropped by prosecutors 14 months later after Trenton police failed to provide the court discovery material, the suit alleged.
“We’re pleased that the system worked, that there is a remedy for people who are treated like this,” Cisco's lawyer, Patrick Whalen said.
A Trenton administration spokesperson declined to comment.
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