TROY, Mo. — A Lincoln County couple is speaking out after a traffic stop went wrong back in July.
Body camera video shows an aggressive encounter with Troy police officers.
On July 11, Aaliyah and Andrew Mencin were less than a mile from their home when they were pulled over by Troy police. Police said the initial stop was for speeding and improper plates.
In body camera video, when the officer approaches the car he asks Andrew to get out and it immediately takes a turn. Several officers and Andrew struggle for several minutes, and Andrew is tazed multiple times.
This is all happening while his wife, Aaliyah, and two children were in the SUV.
“You shouldn't be treating people like that," Andrew said. "You should have told me what was going on. You should have informed me what you were going to do. You didn't. You told me to get out of the vehicle, and you immediately went hands-on, and that's not cool."
During the struggle, Aaliyah started filming from inside the SUV and said she moved from seat to seat so she could keep her eyes on her husband.
Officers told her to remain in the passenger seat, and when she didn't, they said they were going to arrest her.
“They yanked me as hard as he could out of that vehicle," Aaliyah said, "and when I say I got yanked, I felt like a rag doll in that moment, and I smacked the pavement. My head smacked the pavement, and I went fully unconscious."
Troy police said in a statement the two were arrested because they were not complying with the officers' orders. They said the incident was disheartening and preventable. "We take this matter seriously and are fully cooperating with the Lincoln County Prosecutors Office."
The Mencins feel differently. They're traumatized and so are their kids.
“My babies aren't sleeping. They come in and make sure we're still home, that we haven't been taken away from them again,” Aaliyah said.
They believe their rights were violated and don't want this to happen to anyone else.
“He needs to not be an officer anywhere. He needs to be disciplined. He needs to be taken off the force, not allowed to be on any other force,” Andrew said.
5 On Your Side reached out to the Troy Police Department for further comment but did not hear back.
The police statement said, "We are reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure they align with best practices in de-escalation and community-oriented policing."
According to court documents, Andrew Mencin is due in court next week.