FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A new video of the protest against police brutality in Fort Lauderdale was released on social media showing a different view of the moment when a woman got struck by a rubber bullet.
The video, captured on May 31 and posted on Twitter, showed Latoya Ratlieff appearing to be hit by the rubber bullet, sometimes called a foam bullet, and kneeling down on the ground.
Ratlieff said her face was badly bruised and she suffered a fractured eye socket.
“My eye actually started to open earlier this week, or probably around this week, I’m sorry, but it’s still barely — I can’t focus,” she told 7News on Monday. “If I try to use, utilize my right eye, I can’t see anything. The vision’s very blurry.”
Ratlieff said the protest was peaceful, but the tone changed when a Fort Lauderdale Police officer appeared to shove a kneeling woman.
“And that took the crowd from a very peaceful event that had taken place for most of the day to a bit of an agitation,” she said.
It’s clear from the video that tension between the police and the protesters was running high. There’s tear gas flying about and police officers were seen firing rubber foam bullets.
Another Twitter video may explain how Ratlieff was injured.
The video showed a protester hurling a canister toward police. Almost immediately, an officer fires.
Ratlieff, who was standing between the police and the protester, is struck and falls to the ground.
Another video showed her being helped away from the scene of the incident.
Police said they are investigating the incident and would like to speak with Ratlieff but have yet to hear from her.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department released a statement that reads in part, “All of the information about Ms. Ratlieff’s incident has been provided to the media, rather than to our city or to our investigators. We look forward to speaking with Ms. Ratlieff so that we may follow our formal investigative process of finding the truth about what happened.”
“I want the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to be held accountable,” Ratlieff said. “I think it’s important that there are some reforms that are put in place, so that something like this can never happen again.”
Ratlieff’s representatives said they have reached out to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department but have yet to hear back.
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