Los Angeles

Woman Punched by CHP Officer Feared For Her Life

A woman repeatedly punched in the head by a California Highway Patrol officer on the side of a Southern California freeway says she feared for her life as the officer swung at her "with all his might."

"He was trying to kill me, he was trying to beat me to death, he wouldn’t stop," Marlene Pinnock said in an interview with NBC4 on Sunday. "I was able to try to cover my face because he wouldn’t quit hitting me in my temple and in my head and in my face and my legs."

Pinnock said the memory of the July 1 incident brings back painful memories.

"I wish he’d lose his job and they fired him so he can’t hurt nobody like he hurt me," she said. "No one deserved that."

Pinnock, 51, was released from the hospital last week after several weeks of treatment for head injuries and continues to have slurred speech, according to her attorney, Caree Harper.

Pinnock filed a federal civil rights lawsuit last month.

Harper alleges that the officer was on a “mission to humiliate her,” violently ripping Pinnock’s dress after she tried pulling it down because she wasn’t wearing underwear.

The CHP has said that Pinnock was endangering herself by walking on Interstate 10 and the officer was trying to restrain her.

Harper said Pinnock had no alcohol or drugs in her system when the incident took place.

The lawsuit claims Pinnock was "a victim of 10-15 unprovoked vicious blows from the officer while he straddled her and made no attempt to arrest her during the attack."

CHP Commissioner Joseph Farrow said that the video only captured part of the altercation, and that one would need to know “what was going on the officer’s mind” at the time of incident.

A fund has been established in Pinnock’s name. Contributions can be made at Wells Fargo under the account: Marlene Pinnock 5052.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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