Chikesia Clemons Facts: Black Woman's Aggressive Arrest At Waffle House Sparks Outrage

A video went viral Sunday showing a black woman being aggressively arrested by three white officers at a Waffle House in Alabama. The incident, which was caught on camera, sparked outrage over the use of excessive force by officers and triggered an investigation.

The video showed the woman's dress being pulled, exposing her body as the officers wrestled with the 25-year-old inside the restaurant in Saraland, near Mobile. Videos also showed the officers arguing with the woman before throwing her to the ground. The black woman was identified as Chikesia Clemons.

The dispute broke out after Clemons asked for plastic utensils and was told there would be a 50-cent charge, Clemons' mother Chiquitta Clemons-Howard told AL.com. Clemons argued she had earlier received the utensils for free, and then the employee at the Waffle House canceled her order. While she was waiting for the contact information for the regional manager of the Waffle House, the police arrived, her mother said.

"They didn't even ask her to leave, she was waiting for them to give her the district manager's card so she could file a complaint on one of the waitresses," Clemons-Howard told AL.com. "When they went to go get the card, that's when the police showed up. The officer should've come in and said we need you to leave."

On Monday, Waffle House defended the police intervention saying it had information that “differs significantly” from claims by the woman.

“After reviewing our security video of the incident and eye witness accounts, police intervention was appropriate,” the statement said.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called the arrest troubling.

In a Facebook post Sunday, the Saraland Police Department said it was "aware of the arrest at Waffle House and the accompanying video on social media," and the incident is under "active investigation."

“Our department strives for transparency and we encourage our community to be aware of current events,” the police said in the statement. “When the facts of the investigation are gathered, we will have a response.”

Clemons was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and placed on a $1,000 bond.

In the video, which went viral, Clemons was heard asking the officers why she was being arrested. One of the officers was heard saying: “I’m about to break your arm, that’s what I’m about to do."

Spokeswoman with the Saraland Police Department, Det. Collette Little said the statement was not made as a threat, but was a "cause and effect statement" as it was common that the force used to arrest a person could cause an injury.

Clemons' friend described her as a hardworking and “wonderful, classy woman who loves being a mother.”

“She never deserved that treatment. It is disgusting,” Brandon Tartt told Heavy News. “If you aren’t going to get utensils with your food, then how are you going to eat? It’s common knowledge that everyone gets utensils to use with their food at the Waffle House or any other restaurant, and it shouldn’t matter who you are or what you look like.”

The latest incident comes just weeks after two black men were asked to leave a Philadelphia Starbucks as they said they were waiting for a friend. This incident was also caught on video and caused national outrage.