A woman was arrested in Westminster, Colorado, on Jan. 24 following an argument with a man outside of a Party City store. Charleene Gibson was arrested following an altercation with the man near 92nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard.
Gibson was arrested after the incident took place in front of the party supplies store in suburban Denver with a man who tried to take a picture of her car parked near the entrance.
However, Gibson said she was there to stock up on supplies for her birthday and had parked close to the front door after receiving permission from the store clerk.
“The Party City employee said it was OK to park there for a few minutes while we load balloons in the car. I stayed in the car and turned my hazards on,” said Gibson.
Gibson said she stepped in front of his lens when the man tried to take a picture of her car after complaining she’d blocked the curb ramp. Gibson said that’s when the man attacked her and hit her several times before she struck him back.
“Then he grabbed me,” she said. “And punched me in my jaw and then he yanked me again and then punched me two times right here, and that’s when I started to punch him back.”
A video of the arrest went viral, which captured the police arresting Gibson as a friend who witnessed the argument, NiaShay Burns, recorded the arrest on her cellphone. Burns is heard on the video repeatedly saying, “He hit her first!”
Burns can be heard on the video telling the officers that three women plus another witness were telling them that the man hit her first as a male officer handcuffed Gibson.
A female officer moved to arrest Gibson’s sister Amber after she seemingly began to try to walk away from the scene after seeing Gibson being put in handcuffs. As the officer shoved Amber against a vehicle, Burns cried out, “She didn’t do anything!”
The female officer later grabbed Gibson’s arm…
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