Police chief: Officers showed 'great restraint' in woman's arrest

Videos of the encounter with Audrey Yvonne Tyler, 26, have been viewed thousands of times on...
Videos of the encounter with Audrey Yvonne Tyler, 26, have been viewed thousands of times on social media and shared with WECT and other media outlets. (Source: Facebook)
Updated: May. 17, 2018 at 3:44 PM EDT
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Audrey Tyler (left) and Robert Tyler (right) (Source: CCSO)
Audrey Tyler (left) and Robert Tyler (right) (Source: CCSO)

FAIR BLUFF, NC (WECT) - Two officers accused in videos posted to social media of using excessive force to take a woman into custody showed "great restraint" during the encounter, Fair Bluff Police Chief Chris Chafin said in a phone interview Thursday.

Videos of the officers' encounter with Audrey Yvonne Tyler, 26, on Wednesday have been viewed thousands of times on social media and shared with WECT and other media outlets.

WARNING: The video contains some profanity.

In the video, Tyler, who says she is pregnant, repeatedly refused commands from one of the officers, claiming she hadn't done anything wrong and would not go to jail. One officer can be seen putting his hand near her shoulder area – an apparent restraint technique, according to Chafin.

"I've got good officers, they held great restraint (during the arrest)," Chafin said.

At one point in the video Tyler claims one of the officers slapped her; however, this is not shown in the video. There is no other apparent use of excessive force in the video.

The video also does not show the moments leading up to Tyler's arrest – a two- to three-mile police chase resulting in the arrest of Tyler's cousin, Robert Harold Tyler, 48.

Audrey Tyler came from a house as Robert Tyler was being arrested, during which his hat fell off, according to Chafin.

"(Robert Tyler) was yelling for Audrey to get his hat, and the officers told her to back away because they were working a felony traffic scene, but she didn't listen, which led to her arrest," Chafin said.

The officers later discovered cocaine in Robert Tyler's hat.

Both Audrey and Robert were booked in the Columbus County Detention Center – Audrey charged with resisting an officer, assault on an officer, and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises, and Robert charged with fleeing to elude arrest, resisting an officer, felony possession of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance on jail premises.

Asked if there was an internal investigation into the incident, Chafin said no complaint had been filed as of Thursday afternoon.

"Going by the video they don't have a complaint," Chafin said. "My officers got drugs off the street. They did a great job."

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