Butch female cop is indicted after shocking video showed her shoving and slapping nine months-pregnant woman who had her hands cuffed behind her back

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:28, 26 June 2026 | Updated: 14:53, 26 June 2026 A female police officer has been indicted on assault charges after video showed her shoving and slapping a handcuffed woman who was nine months pregnant.  Surveillance video from the horrifying incident shows Officer Carri Carrico, 47, allegedly assaulting the 21-year-old victim at the booking facility in Buckeye, Arizona. Carrico shoved the heavily pregnant woman against a wall and dragged her to a bench, video obtained by the Daily Mail showed. She is then seen swinging her arm toward the woman's head. The alleged victim told investigators that Carrico hit her, according to the indictment reviewed by ABC 15. The woman was taken to the hospital and allegedly diagnosed with a contusion. She was also evaluated for a concussion, the court filing said. Carrico, who was wearing a black uniform and severe blonde chignon hairstyle during the attack, arrested the woman for reckless driving after a traffic stop in Buckeye on November 1 last year. The alleged victim claimed the officer was hostile during the stop and made demeaning comments during a pat-down search. Body camera footage captured Carrico calling the woman 'gross,' 'nasty,' and 'an a**,' as well as threatening that her attitude would determine whether she went to jail. Buckeye, Arizona police officer Carri Carrico was caught on surveillance camera shoving and slapping a handcuffed woman who was nine months pregnant Last yea, Carrico was honored with a Hero Award from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization for her efforts to get drunk drivers off the roads Carrico resigned from the Buckeye Police Department earlier this month after a grand jury indicted her on two counts of aggravated assault on May 27. She pled not guilty. The charges stem from the November incident, as well as a separate incident that occurred two months later. Carrico allegedly punched a man in the head while he was being escorted by two police officers at a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office facility in Phoenix on January 25. She had been tasked with transporting the man, who had been arrested on a domestic violence aggravated assault charge, from a hospital to the jail. Surveillance footage showed how the man headbutted Carrico as he exited the patrol vehicle, which caused her to take him to the ground in the parking area. But he told investigators, according to the indictment: 'After I bumped her, she threw me to the ground.' 'She tore my shirt,' he added. 'She punched me in the face when I was already restrained.'  Footage captured inside the facility, recorded Carrico allegedly punching the handcuffed man and verbally threatening to smash his head in. She allegedly shoved the 21-year-old pregnant woman against a wall and dragged her to a bench. She is then seen swinging her arm toward the woman's head Carrico was also charged in connection to a January incident in which she allegedly took a handcuffed man to the ground after he headbutted her while exiting her patrol car She allegedly then punched the man in the head while he was being escorted by two police officers at a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office facility in Phoenix Carrico, seen during her stint with Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California, has pled not guilty to the charges  'I will smash you so hard into this f****** wall you won't see straight,' she said. 'Do you understand me? Do you f****** understand?' Carrico was placed on unpaid leave after the jury brought charges against her last month. She resigned from the force on June 4. When asked during an internal investigation about the alleged assault of the pregnant woman, Carrico admitted that the 'video looks really ugly.' But she defended herself, telling investigators: 'I will say I've never once in my life open-hand slapped or struck anybody. And in this moment, I just think the only thing that I did was revert to my training.' Her supervising sergeant said Carrico's actions were 'very aggressive' and 'definitely over the top and unnecessary,' according to internal review records obtained by ABC 15. Similarly, when probed about her actions during the January incident, Carrico told investigators that she used a 'distraction strike' on the man. She claimed she learned the technique during her nearly 10-year stint at the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. But a sergeant who reviewed the footage said that they did not see the man doing anything that would 'provoke or elicit a response like that from the officer.' Carrico joined the Buckeye Police Department as a patrol officer in 2022 after serving nearly 10 years with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in California. She resigned from the BPD on June 4 this year Carrico also made an appearance on an episode of the reality TV show COPS in 2022 while she was still with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California Carrico joined the Buckeye Police Department as a patrol officer in 2023.  Last year, she was honored with a Hero Award from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization for her efforts to get drunk drivers off the roads. She participated in 35 DUI investigations in 2024 and made 27 DUI arrests, the force said. This was more than any other patrol officer. At the time of her award, the Buckeye Police Department praised her 'exceptional dedication' to road safety and said there was 'no doubt her actions have helped prevent crashes and protect innocent lives.' Carrico also made an appearance on an episode of the reality TV show COPS in 2022 while she was still with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California. In the episode, she stopped a vehicle with a broken headlight and found two occupants with outstanding warrants. She found meth and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, which the pair admitted to having. But Carrico, taking their cooperation into account, did not arrest them and instead issued them a citation. The Daily Mail has approached Carrico's attorney and the Buckeye Police Department for comment.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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