White Police Officer Restraining Black Woman Walking Dog Caught on Video

An investigation has been launched after several videos surfaced online showing a white officer restraining a Black woman while she was out walking her dog in Chicago.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates allegations of misconduct by police, is looking into an incident that took place on North Avenue Beach in Lincoln Park at around 12:12 am on Saturday.

A video chronicling the incident was first posted to Twitter by Patricia Roberts where it has been viewed over 280,000 times, prompting a widespread outcry.

In the clip a woman, who has been named Nikkita Brown, can be seen walking away from a police officer who is following closely behind, gesturing for her to move away from the beach area, which was closed at the time.

The flashpoint comes when Brown stops and turns around with her phone in her hand. Words are exchanged before the officer attempts to grab the phone, prompting a struggle that lasts several minutes.

During this time, Brown can be heard screaming and shouting "let go" while the officer continues to try and wrestle the phone away from her.

The officer eventually releases Brown from his grip and, after another inaudible exchange, they head off in opposite directions.

Roberts posted the video on Twitter writing: "My daughter was attacked while walking her dog in Lincoln Park West Friday night by a Chicago Cop."

Newsweek has reached out for confirmation of her relationship to Brown.

In a follow-up tweet, Roberts told followers: "The recording was taken by city workers who was kind & followed my daughter home. Making sure she was safe & not followed by the cop."

According to lawyers representing Brown, the officer first approached her because she was walking her dog in the park after it was already closed.

A statement issued by the law office of Saulter Law P.C. described the resulting altercation as "an obvious case of racial profiling."

They said that just prior to the altercation, Brown saw "a group of approximately four White people walking some distance behind her" who were left unchallenged by the officer.

Her lawyers noted that Brown told the officer "she and her dog were leaving the park" and that he subsequently "violently" attacked her "for absolutely no reason "when she tried to film his behaviour on her phone.

"He attempts to tackle her, all while groping her body as she screams for help," Saulter Law P.C said. "This unprovoked attack lasts for approximately two minutes, during this time Ms. Brown's phone is knocked from her hands and she is knocked out of her shoes."

The law firm has posted several additional videos to Facebook showing the altercation and the build-up to it.

They include one video, filmed by Brown, in which she asks the unmasked officer to keep six feet away - a request he ignores.

Brown later called 911 and gave a statement to a sergeant from the 18th District.

According to her lawyers, Brown has been left "suffering from emotional trauma" as a result of the "brutal, unprovoked and unlawful attack."

They have called on the Chicago Police Department Internal Affairs Division and Office of Chicago Mayor, Lori E. Lightfoot to also investigate the matter further.

Newsweek has reached out to the Chicago Police Department and Saulter Law P.C for further comment.