Woman body slammed by Sweetwater Police at Li'l Abner mobile park found guilty
A woman caught on video being body slammed by a Sweetwater police officer was found guilty Wednesday after she took the stand in her own trial to try to convince jurors that she was the true victim.
A jury found Vivian Hernandez, 62, guilty of three misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, trespass after warning and resisting arrest without violence.
Hernandez was arrested at the administrative office of Li’l Abner, a mobile home park embroiled in a dispute over an eviction order for all residents.
Hernandez, a resident for over 15 years, was one of thousands of mobile home park residents who were getting evicted, and their homes were set to be demolished due to redevelopment.
“There is an eviction of over 900 trailer homes. It’s actually the largest eviction in the history of Florida. Five thousand people,” David Winker, Hernandez’s attorney, told jurors.
Hernandez told jurors Tuesday she walked into the office after being invited in to pay her rent and to discuss her eviction process.
However, Sergeant Brian Arias told jurors on Monday that he was outside, was called in, and encountered Hernandez allegedly screaming. When he told her to leave the office, Hernandez allegedly refused multiple times.
“Your characterization is you walked her out?” Winker asked.
“Attempted to walk her out,” Arias said. “She began to further fight, and that’s when I had to take her to the ground.”
Hernandez defended her actions that day and told jurors she was treated with disrespect by the office staff and then Arias.
When questioned on Tuesday if she was screaming inside the office, Hernandez described her tone of voice as just being Cuban.
“People tell us Cubans that when we talk, we are just screaming, but this is my tone of voice, this is my manner of speaking,” Hernandez said through a translator.
Hernandez was sentenced to six months of probation. Her attorney said the legal battle continues, saying she was still a part of a wrongful conviction that they will continue to fight in court.
