'This is going to be fun': Video shows cop SMILING and LAUGHING at 70-yr-old bipolar woman during episode
Back in 2021, Tulsa Police Department (TPD) released bodycam footage of an intervention by one of its police officers, after a woman suffered a manic episode. In April 2022, a clip of that interaction has gone viral, after it was uncovered the officer made fun of the 70-year-old woman's episode. The officer in question has been identified as Ronni Carrocia, who laughed and said "this is going to be fun" while helping the woman.
Thanks to the more widespread use of bodycam footage and social media, unprofessional conduct from police officers is becoming more widely known. In July 2021, Officer Matthew Gorney was caught planting drugs in a Black man's car. In March 2022, one Georgia cop was forced to resign after he was caught on TikTok having sex while on duty. Similarly, in October 2021 an LASD deputy was fired after he was caught having sex on the job, albeit on the police radio.
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There have also been numerous reports of unprofessional conduct by cops when dealing with Black Americans, and those suffering from mental health conditions. The video of Officer Carrocia is a good example of this, as she can be seen laughing and joking about the situation, rather than treating it with the seriousness it needed.
Who is Ronnie Carrocia?
Reportedly a resident of Claremont, Carrocia graduated into the department in 2018, at the age of 26. "I am just ready to go out there and put my best foot forward and protect the community," she told Tulsaworld at the time. The publication reported that she was inspired to join the force after a "traumatic experience" as a 16-year-old, and the intervention following that by police officers.
It's unclear what exactly that incident is, as few other details are available about Carrocia. She is either not on social media, or has since taken down her accounts. One May 2019 photo from TPD's Facebook page shows Carrocia interacting with school children. The shocking interaction with 70-year-old LaDonna Paris occurred in October 2020, after Paris locked herself in a restroom. Paris reportedly has bipolar disorder and suffered a crisis that led her to lock herself in at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Tulsa.
Warning: Distressing content
On arriving at the scene, Carrocia takes out her taser and asks Paris through the door, "Do you want to get Tased?" The woman responds with, "Don't do it. Why are you doing this?" and then adds, "Get away from me, get away, get away." The footage then shows Carrocia laughing and telling another colleague, "I love my job." She also says "This is going to be so fun." Eventually, a third officer arrives, breaks open the door, and pepper sprays Paris, who was arrested and spent a month in jail.
While the TPD has acknowledged that Carrocia's words could be "perceived as unprofessional," it said the officers acted within the department's policies and therefore chose not to pursue action against them. However, Paris has decided to file a police brutality case against Carrocia and the department, with her lawyers saying, "The TPD officers involved were fully aware that Ms. Paris was suffering a bipolar manic episode, yet they still viciously provoked and attacked Ms. Paris while laughing off her disability as if it were a joke."