Arkansas State Trooper Faces Scrutiny After Video Shows Him Striking 18-Year-Old Woman During Traffic Stop

MANILA, Ark. — Video from an Arkansas traffic stop is drawing widespread attention online after footage showed a state trooper taking an 18-year-old woman to the ground and striking her in the face while attempting to arrest her.

The encounter happened August 1 near Manila, Arkansas, and involved 18-year-old Alisa N. Hackett of Osceola and Arkansas State Police Trooper Moisses Arellano, according to reporting and information attributed to an Arkansas State Police use-of-force report. 

According to details from the report, Arellano initially observed Hackett’s vehicle traveling with its hazard lights activated and later clocked the vehicle traveling 71 mph in a 60 mph zone. During the stop, the trooper reportedly also noted that Hackett was not wearing a seat belt, her license plate was partially obscured and a bottle of alcohol was inside the vehicle. Hackett, who is under the legal drinking age, reportedly told the trooper that her vehicle’s window was broken and she was trying to get home. 

Arellano initially prepared citations. However, the situation changed after he reportedly spoke with another trooper and learned Hackett had been stopped days earlier in an encounter involving speeding and an open container and had received a verbal warning. Arellano then decided to place Hackett under arrest rather than issue only citations. 

Arrest Turns Physical

According to the use-of-force account, Hackett initially exited her vehicle without incident. When Arellano attempted to take control of one of her hands, however, she turned toward him, questioned why she was being arrested and pulled her arms away.

The encounter quickly became physical.

Footage circulating online shows the trooper taking Hackett to the ground as she repeatedly questions what she had done and asks for her mother. Arellano reported that Hackett continued pulling her wrists away and did not comply with commands to roll onto her stomach.

Arellano then struck Hackett once in the face with a closed fist, describing the strike in his report as an attempt to gain compliance. He subsequently drew his Taser and aimed it toward her but did not discharge it. Hackett was ultimately handcuffed. 

One exchange captured in the footage has drawn particular attention online. After being struck, Hackett tells the trooper:

“You can’t punch me in my face.”

Arellano responds:

“Says who?” 

Hackett can also be heard repeatedly calling for help and asking for her mother during the encounter.

Emergency medical personnel evaluated Hackett at the scene. According to the reported use-of-force account, authorities documented no visible injuries, although Hackett complained of pain following the takedown. She was later transported to the Mississippi County Detention Center. 

Hackett reportedly faces multiple allegations, including refusal to submit to arrest, underage possession or purchase of alcohol, speeding, failure to wear a seat belt, improper display of a license plate and a vehicle-light violation. The charges are allegations, and Hackett is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. 

Video Sparks Debate Over Use of Force

Video of the encounter, credited online to NEA Report, has since spread widely across social media, prompting criticism of the trooper’s decision to use a closed-fist strike against the 18-year-old.

The footage has also fueled a broader debate over whether the level of force was necessary or proportional given the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

The images circulating online appear consistent with the reported nighttime traffic stop and show a uniformed trooper restraining a young woman beside a vehicle.

It remains important to distinguish what the video itself shows from conclusions about whether the trooper’s actions violated Arkansas State Police policy or the law. A definitive determination on the legality or appropriateness of the force would require review by the relevant authorities and the complete evidence surrounding the encounter.

Pulse Radio 96.1 will continue to follow the story as additional information regarding the traffic stop, Hackett’s case and any official review of the trooper’s actions becomes available.