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A cross-deputized tribal police officer was arrested by his own colleagues after body camera footage captured him tasing a handcuffed pregnant woman during what began as a routine warrant search. Officer Robert Rice of the Van Police Department, working with Cherokee Marshals, now faces charges of perjury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and breaking and entering.
The incident reveals how quickly a law enforcement operation can spiral into criminal conduct, with Rice's fellow officers taking immediate action when he crossed the line.
The Warrantless Entry That Started Everything
Rice arrived at an apartment complex searching for a man with a felony warrant. When the female resident, Haley, refused to allow entry without a warrant, Rice made increasingly aggressive threats. He claimed authority as a cross-deputized Cherokee Marshal and warned that refusing consent would result in SWAT teams "blowing the windows out" and him "kicking your door off the hinges."
Despite having no search warrant for the residence, Rice pressured the property manager to let him inside. He threatened Haley with felony charges for harboring a fugitive, promising to seize her phone and "dump all the information on it" if she didn't comply.
The coercive tactics worked. Reluctantly, Haley allowed the search to proceed.
When the Suspect Appeared
During the search, the wanted man suddenly emerged from a closet. Rice immediately became physical, throwing him to the ground and handcuffing him. In the chaos that followed, Haley accidentally hit Rice with the door as it swung open in the cramped space.
Rice's reaction was swift and disproportionate. He grabbed the 112-pound woman and began trying to handcuff her, despite her having committed no crime beyond the accidental door contact.
What happened next would end Rice's career and land him in handcuffs himself.
The Tasing That Shocked Fellow Officers
With Haley handcuffed and restrained, Rice deployed his taser on the woman who repeatedly stated she was pregnant. The bodycam audio captures Rice saying "Fuck this" before announcing "Taser, taser" and firing the weapon.
Fellow officers present at the scene were immediately horrified. One can be heard saying "You're done" to Rice as they realized what had just occurred. The woman, still handcuffed and now with taser barbs embedded in her body, pleaded for the probes to be removed while officers called for emergency medical services.
Rice later claimed on camera that he tased her because she was resisting, but the footage tells a different story.
The Arrest That Followed
In an almost unprecedented turn of events, Rice's fellow officers arrested him at the scene. The same colleagues who had been assisting with the warrant search now found themselves taking their partner into custody for his actions.
The bodycam footage captures Rice attempting to justify his use of force, claiming Haley had been "swinging" and resisting arrest. He seems unaware that his own camera has recorded evidence contradicting his version of events.
Rice was ultimately charged with multiple felonies, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
What the Footage Reveals
The complete bodycam recording shows a troubling escalation from questionable search tactics to criminal assault. Rice's behavior throughout the incident raises serious questions about training, accountability, and the use of cross-deputization agreements between agencies.
Most disturbing is Rice's apparent lack of awareness that his actions were being recorded, and his casual discussion afterward about potentially charging the woman with additional crimes for claiming to be pregnant.
The footage ends with Rice still attempting to justify his actions, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his fellow officers have already determined his conduct was criminal. But the full scope of what led to his arrest, and how his colleagues ultimately handled the situation, can only be understood by watching the complete bodycam recording.
See the unedited footage that ended an officer's career and decide for yourself whether justice was served.
