Philly woman indicted in controversial Wildwood beach arrest caught on video

A Philadelphia woman whose controversial Memorial Day weekend arrest on the beach in Wildwood was caught on video was indicted by a Cape May County grand jury last week for allegedly fighting with police and related offenses.

Emily R. Weinman was indicted on two counts of aggravated assault on police, and one count each of resisting arrest, throwing bodily fluids, and obstructing an investigation — all charges stemming from the May 26 incident that started when officers from the Wildwood Police Department questioned her about prohibited alcoholic beverages.

Lawyers for Weinman could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

A police officer approached Weinman during the Saturday afternoon altercation and spotted an alcoholic beverage near where she sat on a beach blanket. Weinman said she had not been drinking and passed a breath test. She then cursed and insulted the officer and refused to give him her name. The officer tackled and arrested her.

Another beachgoer recorded part of the incident on video, which shows Weinman getting punched twice in the head by the officer trying to subdue her. The video, posted on Twitter, has garnered more than 7 million views.

In response to a public outcry, Wildwood police released three redacted videos from body cams of the three officers involved in the arrest.

Shortly after the arrest, Weinman defended herself in a Facebook message to an Inquirer and Daily News reporter and said it was not true that she spit on the police.

"The cops smashed my head into the ground when he tackled me and I spit the sand out of my mouth," she said. "So no, it is not true."

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland in June declined to prosecute the officers involved.

"As county prosecutor, I recognize that the video footage has raised a lot of questions regarding the officers' actions," Sutherland said at the time. "A decision such as this is not based on emotion; it is based upon applying the proper laws, policies, and directives that govern law enforcement."

He added: "Members of the public should understand that no matter what your opinion is regarding the subject event, it is not based on a full review of the evidence."

The officers involved in Weinman's arrest — identified as Class II Patrolmen Thomas Cannon, John Hillman, and Robert Jordan — were reportedly the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the Wildwood Police Department.

Wildwood Police Chief Robert Regalbuto could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

Class II officers are temporary officers typically hired for the summer season. They are trained at the police academy and carry guns.