Woman in videotaped NJ beach arrest rejects plea offer
WILDWOOD, N.J. -- A Philadelphia woman whose violent arrest at a New Jersey beach over Memorial Day weekend that was captured on video was in court on Thursday.
The Associated Press reports that Emily Weinman has rejected a plea deal and will seek entry into a pretrial program that could lead to the charge being dismissed.
The 20-year-old Weinman was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer after the confrontation that began when she repeatedly refused to give Wildwood officers her name when they questioned her about the presence of alcoholic beverages on the beach.
Police bodycam footage and video shot by a beachgoer were released of the incident, showing the confrontation between Weinman and police.
In an interview on Good Morning America last month, Weinman said she was very anxious over the attention she's been receiving because of the videos. She says she is upset over what people have been saying about her.
"They see one video, one situation, and saying all this negative stuff about a person. But one situation doesn't define someone. I'm not a bad person. I'm not this person that they're out here trying to make me seem like," Weinman said.
The officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing after authorities reviewed that video and police body-cam footage.
