Metro transit police slammed a woman to the ground to arrest her for not paying to get on a bus.
“When I look in the mirror all I say is ‘why me?’ Like why did this have to happen,” Diamond Rust told WUSA9.
The arrest happened at a bus stop on Alabama Avenue in Southeast, D.C. on Tuesday.
Rust was locked up and charged with fare evasion and resisting arrest.
“I cry. I cry all of the time. Just waking up crying. It hurts,” she said.
Rust got on the W4 bus route with her one-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.
Metro Transit Police claimed the Ballou STAY High School student walked past the fare box and sat down.
Moments later, an undercover officer on the bus told Rust to get off.
“I’m pacing back and forth like ‘can you hurry up?’ He said he felt threatened with me pacing back and forth,” Rust explained.
However, Rust admitted that she did not stop pacing and kept walking.
According to the police report, Rust kept putting her hand in her pockets and ignoring officer’s commands before things escalated.
“He said I was resisting. He pushed me to the fence,” Rust recalled.
Police said the 20-year-old kept pulling away and an officer slammed her to the ground to finish the arrest.
“The girl lifted my face up and I seen her — my daughter like right there crying. That’s when I started crying,” Rust said.
Rust’s face burst wide open, four of her teeth were broken, and her knee was fractured.
“My son he don’t even like looking at me now. My daughter keeps saying police did this to mommy,” she said.
Rust, who plans to graduate from Ballou STAY High School this year, has a DC One card which allows her to ride for free.
However, Rust did not have the card with her on the day of the arrest.
A picture of a property bag showed the 20-year-old had cash and two smart trip cards when she was arrested.
WUSA9 asked if Rust would have done anything differently.
She said, “No. because this is just the person I am.”
Rust was rushed to the hospital after her arrest and plans to file a complaint with Metro.
Metro Transit Police would not comment further on the case over the weekend.
