Tulsa Police Department (TPD) published bodycam footage of an intervention by one of its officers following a woman’s manic episode in 2021. A video of that exchange went viral in April 2022 after it was discovered that the cop made light of the 70-year-old woman’s episode. The cop in question has been identified as Ronni Carrocia, who while assisting the woman laughed and stated, “This is going to be fun.”
Unprofessional behaviour by police officers is becoming more generally known, thanks to the increased usage of bodycam footage and social media. Officer Matthew Gorney was caught putting narcotics in a Black man’s automobile in July 2021. One Georgia cop was forced to quit in March 2022 after being discovered on TikTok having sex while on duty. Similarly, a LASD deputy was sacked in October 2021 after being caught having sex on the job, although over the police radio.
There have also been numerous allegations of cops acting unprofessionally when dealing with African-Americans and those with mental illnesses. Officer Carrocia’s video exemplifies this, as she can be seen smiling and joking about the situation instead than approaching it with the seriousness it required.
Officer Ronni Carrocia is seen on bodycam footage. (YouTube)
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Ronnie Carrocia, Who Is She?
Carrocia, a Claremont native, graduated from the department in 2018 at the age of 26. She told Tulsaworld at the time, “I am just eager to go out there and put my best foot forward and protect the neighbourhood.” She was inspired to join the force after a “terrible encounter” as a 16-year-old and the subsequent intervention by police officers, according to the publication.
Because there are little other details regarding Carrocia, it’s unclear what really happened. She’s either not on social media at all, or she’s deleted her accounts. TPD’s Facebook page posted a photo of Carrocia talking with schoolchildren in May 2019. In October 2020, when Paris secluded herself in a lavatory, she had a frightening encounter with 70-year-old LaDonna Paris. Paris, who suffers from bipolar disorder, is said to have had a breakdown and locked herself in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Tulsa.
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When Carrocia arrives on the scene, she pulls out her taser and asks Paris, “Do you want to be Tased?” through the door. In response, the woman says, “It’s not a good idea. “Get away from me, get away, get away,” he says, before adding, “Why are you doing this?”” Carrocia is then seen grinning and telling another coworker, “I love my job.” “This is going to be so much fun,” she adds. A third cop eventually comes, busts in the door, and pepper sprays Paris, who is arrested and held for a month.
While the TPD agreed that Carrocia’s statements could be “seen as unprofessional,” it stated that the officers acted in accordance with the department’s regulations and that no action was taken against them. Paris, on the other hand, has decided to file a police brutality case against Carrocia and the department, stating that “the TPD officers involved were fully aware that Ms. Paris was suffering from a bipolar manic episode, yet they still viciously provoked and attacked Ms. Paris while laughing off her disability as if it were a joke,” according to her lawyers.
