An arrest on Depot Street in Ringgold has drawn national attention and sparked local outrage after video of the incident went viral on social media.
The Georgia State Patrol confirmed that 37-year-old Obrey Jimenez was pulled over last Monday after allegedly running a stop sign. Troopers say Jimenez was arrested for driving without a license and was found to have an active federal warrant. He was taken into custody and placed in a patrol vehicle, according to law enforcement.
However, what followed has raised concerns among activists and bystanders. Elizabeth Haley, who witnessed the incident, live-streamed the encounter on Facebook. She claimed Jimenez was mishandled during the arrest, resulting in injuries and a lack of immediate medical attention.
“To our understanding, he went to go get papers, and he was yanked out of his vehicle, thrown on the ground, and arrested,” Haley said. “He obtained a significant amount of injuries in that process and needed an ambulance, but did not receive EMT care.”
The situation escalated when Jade Michalski, a local activist accompanying Haley, was also arrested. She faces charges including obstruction of officers. Video footage appears to show Michalski being physically carried to a police vehicle by an officer, which Haley says involved inappropriate contact by law enforcement.
“The officer that I feel needs to be particularly reviewed and looked at is the officer that took his hand and put it between the thighs of her legs, up the back of her body, and around the front of her body to lift her,” Haley said. “That is problematic.”
Both Jimenez and Michalski were booked into the Catoosa County Jail following the arrests.
According to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Jimenez was transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody as of Thursday, raising further concern among activists.
“Not in our town, not in our area, not in Ringgold, Georgia,” Haley said. “We are not letting the state come in and abduct unharmful brown people.”
At this time, the Ringgold Police Department has declined to comment on the nature of the arrests, according to reporting by WDEF-TV.
The incident continues to circulate widely online, with calls from some community members for an internal review of the officers involved.
