DOVER, Del.– A 23-year-old woman on Tuesday made public her complaints over an arrest and traffic stop last month she said was improperly conducted and left her injured.
ShaRon Caldwell said during a news conference that she was assaulted by a Dover police officer during the incident, which happened on the evening of May 13. Caldwell's mother, Lachelle Paul, claimed her daughter was slammed to the ground during the arrest in the area of Mary and North New streets.
Paul and Caldwell said they wanted to see better accountability for the Dover Police Department. The event was held outside the agency's headquarters.
“I’m on your doorstep today just to get my word out as to things that should not happen,” Caldwell said.
Paul said Caldwell was evaluated by Bayhealth Medical Center and found to have fractured tibia, talus and navicular bones. The injuries required surgery, she said.
According to Dover Police spokesman Master Cpl. Mark Hoffman, the incident was captured on video.
“Based on the evidence we have, which includes in-car video, we believe the actions taken by the officer were within departmental policy after the female defendant struck him in the face.”
Police said Caldwell was charged with second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, offensive touching, disorderly conduct, failure to obey an emergency order and a headlight violation.
But Paul said she believes the incident was stoked because her daughter asked why she had been pulled over. She also has made a plea for any video or audio related to the incident to be brought forward.
