BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales revealed that she has filed a police report after being accosted by a campaign staffer and “manhandled” by a police officer while attending a town hall event for Texas’ Democrat candidate for governor, Beto O’Rourke.
In a post on Twitter Sunday, March 6th, Gonzales said she was using her phone to film a conversation between O’Rourke and a constituent during the Dallas, Texas, town hall when the campaign staffer attempted to pry her phone out of her hands without provocation.
Gonzales, the host of “The News & Why It Matters” on BlazeTV, also said that an officer with the Dallas Police Department then “manhandled” and shoved her, which almost caused her to fall down a set of stairs. She added that the officer didn’t give her any directive before getting physical with her.
I will be consulting my attorney and requesting bodycam footage from DPD. There were people recording on their phones all afternoon. The police gave me no directive before manhandling me and almost pushing me down the stairs.
Imagine what this man would allow if elected.
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) March 7, 2022
According to the BlazeTV host, several other attendees at the town hall were using their cell phones to take pictures or record video during the town hall event. A photo of the event tweeted out by O’Rourke’s own account backed up her claim, as it shows several people with their phones out, seemingly recording the event.
Following the incident, Gonzales announced that she planned to take legal action, saying she would be requesting body camera footage from the Dallas Police Department and speaking with her attorney about potential lawsuits.
On Monday, March 7th, the BlazeTV host reported that “step one” was done, saying that she had filed a request for the bodycam footage and that the request had been received by the police department.
Step 1 is done (formal request for bodycam footage).
Filing the police report against the staffer for the battery she committed comes tomorrow as it must be done in person.
I have identified her by name. pic.twitter.com/6EDBxDWH1o
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) March 8, 2022
On Tuesday, March 8th, Gonzales confirmed to TheBlaze that she had formally filed a police report with the Dallas Police Department describing the incident of battery committed against her by the campaign staffer. She had also identified the staffer in question to authorities but has so far refrained from sharing her identity with the media or the public.
The BlazeTV host has also filed a complaint with the police department against the officer who she said had attacked her. The department confirmed receipt of the complaint on Tuesday, according to Gonzales.
In a statement to the Daily Wire, Gonzales said that she felt “violated” after the incident.
“There were never any instructions not to film, nor were there signs,” Gonzales said. “In fact, a photo posted on Twitter by Beto’s team shows numerous audience members with their phones up, and video cameras in the back. They also live-streamed the event.”
“This was clearly not an event that prohibited video recording,” she added.
“I started recording at this public forum, as I had seen many others do, and was immediately attacked by Beto’s staffer, who blocked me and grabbed my phone, trying to pull it out of my hands,” Gonzales recalled. “As I was attempting to maintain the grip on my phone while it was being pulled from me, a black female Dallas Police officer blindsided me and forcefully grabbed my arms, pushing me away where I nearly tripped down some steps.”
“She had given no directive, no instruction, no warning before forcefully putting her hands on me,” she claimed.
“I am not a criminal and had not broken any laws. I’ve never been in an incident like this with law enforcement, and have always been extremely supportive and respectful of them, but this incident affected me very viscerally. The fact that I had to wrestle my private property away from a stranger attempting to take it from me only to be manhandled by the police as if I were a criminal is deeply upsetting,” Gonzales continued.
“Even worse was seeing the crowd of people — presumably the same people who insisted police should stand down and allow criminals to loot stores and burn down buildings – watching this abuse of power happen in total silence. Honestly, it felt like I was in the twilight zone,” she concluded.
