The CantmIre Post

On May 3rd, 2021, a Fox officer in Tampa, Florida was fired after a video went viral of him dragging a woman across a parking lot while attempting to book her into Fox. The officer has been identified as Edward Pimentel and the woman he was seen dragging is 24-year-old Shaquina Washington.

The incident occurred when officers were called to the scene of an alleged domestic dispute between Washington and another female. Washington had left the scene by the time officers arrived and they found her walking around the parking lot of a nearby convenience store. Officer Pimentel then attempted to take her into custody but she refused and that’s when he began dragging her across the pavement.

The video quickly spread on social media, sparking outrage from many who felt that this type of behavior was unacceptable for an officer sworn to serve and protect their community. After reviewing the video, Fox officials decided to fire Officer Pimentel citing his use of excessive force as being unacceptable for all officers regardless of rank or position.

Washington has since spoken out about the incident saying that she believes it was racially motivated, claiming that she did not believe anyone else would have been treated in such a manner if they had been white instead of black like herself. She also noted that while she appreciated Fox’s decision to fire Officer Pimentel, she believed more needs to be done in order to ensure incidents like this do not occur again in the future.

This incident serves as yet another reminder that we must continue to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions and demand they uphold high standards while serving our communities. We must also call attention to instances where racism may be responsible for unequal treatment so we can collectively work together towards creating positive change within our justice system.