'Cop Belongs in Jail': Public Backlash Erupts After Deputy Body-Slams Utah Woman

A video of a Utah County sheriff's deputy throwing a 27-year-old woman face-first to the floor during a public meeting about an artificial intelligence data centre has drawn more than a million views and intense criticism online, with commenters demanding accountability and questioning the officer's use of force.

The woman, 27-year-old Aspen Azalea, was removed from a Utah County Planning Commission meeting in Provo on 20 October after protesting against proposed data centre regulations.

Footage of the confrontation, shared by news outlet Al Jazeera on TikTok, has prompted thousands of comments, with some viewers calling for the deputy to be punished and others expressing concern about the woman's safety.

According to a report from Common Dreams, Azalea has called for Utah County Sheriff's Deputy Phillip Crawford to be fired after video showed him throwing her face-first onto the floor.

'That Cop Belongs in Jail': Anger Erupts in TikTok Comments

The comments beneath Al Jazeera's TikTok video showed strong criticism of the deputy's actions, with several viewers questioning whether the force used against Azalea was justified.

One commenter, Richard James, wrote, 'That cop belongs in JAIL.' The comment had received more than 33,000 likes.

Meanwhile, Iqram Jamal expressed concern about what the footage might reveal about police conduct beyond what was captured on camera. The commenter wrote, 'This in front of cameras. what happens behind cameras. The world has become to comfortable with injustice.'

Other viewers focused on the potential consequences of the deputy's actions. Piddles The Piggles commented, 'that could have killed her',

The reactions also included calls for the deputy to lose his job. User deconfuction74 wrote, 'Omg! He needs to lose his job.'

Although the comments represent individual opinions rather than a survey of public sentiment, they illustrate the anger and concern expressed by viewers who watched the footage.

Woman Says She Suffered a Concussion

Azalea demanded Crawford's dismissal in an interview with FOX 13 Salt Lake City.

'Bare minimum, Phil Crawford needs to be fired, bare minimum,' she said. 'This is assault. He did throw me to the ground.'

Azalea denied the sheriff's office's allegation that she kicked Crawford in the groin before being thrown to the floor.

'No, I never kicked him,' she told FOX 13 Salt Lake City. 'I absolutely didn't kick him.'

She also said the incident could have caused more serious injuries had she landed against a nearby bench.

'What really scares me about that situation is that he could have killed me because there was a bench,' she said.

In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Azalea said she suffered a concussion and bruising to her jaw, knee and shoulder.

She acknowledged that she had shouted during the planning commission meeting, explaining that she had previously spoken out at public meetings about data centre development.

'I have a habit of talking at data centre meetings,' she told the newspaper. 'But never have I been met with such excessive force.'

Sheriff's Office Defends Deputy's Actions

The Utah County Sheriff's Office said deputies had attempted to remove Azalea after she refused to leave the meeting. In a statement, the office alleged that she struck the deputy in the groin as he tried to escort her out.

The sheriff's office said the deputy and Azalea went to the ground during the subsequent struggle. Two other people who intervened were also removed from the meeting and issued citations.

Azalea was booked on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, disrupting a meeting and interfering with an arrest, according to reports of the incident.

The confrontation occurred after the planning commission voted to recommend new regulations governing data centre development on unincorporated land in Utah County. Protesters had gathered to oppose the proposal, with concerns including the potential environmental impact of large facilities.

The sheriff's office said the incident was under supervisory review.

As the video continues to circulate online, the comments beneath Al Jazeera's post show how the confrontation has become a wider discussion about police conduct, the treatment of protesters and accountability when force is used during public meetings.