Charge Dropped Against Mia Wright, Woman Dragged Out Of Car By Hair By Police At Brickyard Mall
CHICAGO (AP) — A misdemeanor charge has been dropped against a woman who was seen on video being yanked by her hair from a car by Chicago police officers during an encounter at a shopping mall.
Chicago's law department and police officials wouldn't comment Tuesday on the decision to drop the disorderly conduct charge against Mia Wright. Attorney Nenye Uche says city officials also didn't offer an explanation of the action to Wright.
"I think this one speaks for itself," Uche said. "Watching the video, assessing and evaluating the entire circumstance — it's obvious that it's baseless."
The video shows officers on both sides of the car bashing the vehicle with their batons before pulling a woman, later identified as Wright, and another woman from the vehicle and pinning them to the ground.
Wright and several relatives had gone to the mall on May 31 because there had been looting at another mall they had wanted to visit. But they quickly realized the Target store they wanted to visit was closed. She said their vehicle was surrounded by police as they tried to leave the parking lot.
Wright has said she was trying to get out of the car when police pulled her out.
The department said Wright was charged after she was "observed by responding officers assembled with 3 or more persons for the purpose of using force or violence to disturb the peace." It is a claim Wright says "makes no sense."
Two officers were stripped of their police powers pending the outcome of an investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which probes police misconduct.
The Cook County state's attorney's office said prosecutors are investigating for possible criminal charges against the officers.
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