CNN Puts Fox News Coverage Of Police Brutality To Shame In One Segment

A segment on the arrest of a pregnant California woman on CNN's New Day demonstrated a stark contrast with Fox News about how to discuss police brutality. 

California resident Michelle Cooks was arrested for resisting arrest in an elementary school parking lot on January 26. At the time, Cooks was eight months pregnant. The incident was captured on the police officer's body camera after the police had been called by a school employee, who was white, because of an argument with Cooks about her driving in the parking lot. The video shows the officer telling the woman that he did not “see any crime” having been committed, but that he would ask Cooks for her name and her side of the story. According to the Huffington Post

The officer then asked Cooks for her name and she refused to give it to him.

“I actually do have the right to ask you for your name,” the officer said.

“Let me make sure,” Cooks said, as she proceeded to take out her phone to call her boyfriend.

The officer agreed to give Cooks two minutes to verify what he told her, but apparently changed his mind, as he only waited about 20 seconds. He and a fellow officer then wrestled Cooks to the ground.

“Please,” Cooks screamed on the video. “I'm pregnant. Please, stop this.”

Cooks was then handcuffed and placed into the back of a police cruiser.

During a segment on the May 29 edition of CNN's New Day, host Chris Cuomo discussed the arrest with former NYPD detective Harry Houck who defended the officers' actions, saying Cooks should have submitted. Cuomo pointed out that California law doesn't require individuals to give their name to police, unless an officer suspects a crime was committed -- which the video shows was not the case. Cuomo challenged Houck, saying “you are putting it on her when he is the one who did the wrong thing.” Watch:

Cuomo's discussion provides a stark contrast to the way Fox News personalities discuss police brutality and citizen's rights. When discussing the death of unarmed Baltimore resident Freddie Gray, who died in police custody, Sean Hannity said that a “simple solution” to avoid death by police was to not “run at 8:30 in the morning when you see a cop.” After the death of Eric Garner, who was killed by a police chokehold for selling cigarettes on the street, Fox invited former NYPD officer Bo Dietl who said he used the same chokeholds during arrests he made in New York City.