A woman has filed a lawsuit that claims a federal ranger used a Taser on her crotch, shortly after learning she was transgender.
Brooke Fantelli filed the lawsuit in federal court last week accusing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of excessive force, according to the San Diego Times Union.
The alleged incident took place in the Imperial County desert near El Centro in October, 2011. Ranger "J. Peter" asked Fantelli's group for identification while they were taking part in a photo shoot. Fantelli's ID still identified her as male.
"He was super nice, until he saw the ID,” Fantelli told the Times Union. “He went from calling me ’ Miss’ and ‘Ma’am’ when it first started, to ‘Sir,’ ‘Dude’ and eventually calling me ‘it.’ ”
Fantelli was told she was under arrest for being drunk in public.
In the video above, Fantelli can be seen with her hands in the air. At one point, she tells her friends to "take pictures." Shortly after, she is shot with a Taser and falls to the ground.
Peter and an Imperial County sheriff’s deputy try to handcuff her before the ranger warns Fantelli he will use his Taser again. Moments later, Fantelli is shocked, this time in the groin.
A Bureau of Land Management spokesperson did not immediately return a call for comment from The Huffington Post. The department has previously released a statement to 10News saying the ranger acted appropriately.
"When deploying Tasers, rangers target the subject's lower center mass, legs or back if possible," the statement said. "It appears the ranger targeted appropriately in this case."
Kevin Keenan, executive director of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties told the station he found the video "disturbing."
"She was stating her objection to the action but not in any way resisting arrest," Keenan said. "They could've done other things before needing to use a Taser for sure."
The district attorney never filed charges against Fantelli for her arrest.
LGBT Weekly reports that Fantelli didn't consent to a breathalyzer test and no urine was collected. The lawsuit claims Fantelli's blood alcohol test showed no sign of booze in her system.