Woman says IMPD officer pulled her braids out. Body cam footage doesn't match police report
Who's to blame for escalating the situation more than a year ago was a topic of debate during a recent Citizens' Police Complaint Board meeting.
Glover, 24, had just broken her lease and was getting a hotel for herself and her two kids on March 8, 2024. The mother went to the Days Inn hotel on the northwest side and said she spent her last $150 to book a room. But she knew they wouldn't be sleeping there when she entered it.
"There was poop everywhere," Glover said. "All over the bathroom and the walls. So, I came downstairs and asked the front desk if they could give me another room. He was like, 'no,' and I said, 'well, can I get my money back?' He said 'no, I'm not giving you anything, and I'm calling the police.'"
She waited for police, thinking law enforcement would listen to her plight. Glover said she didn't expect Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Kenneth Pierce to dismiss her claims before she could explain. She also didn't think the encounter would result in having her hair pulled out and being arrested.
She'd never gone to jail before, she said.
Charged with resisting law enforcement and criminal trespassing, Glover bailed out and filed a complaint against Pierce, who had originally booked her on more charges. Her case is going through the judicial system, and she told IndyStar that because of the charges, she's had an even harder time securing housing for her family.
Now, over a year later, the Citizens' Police Complaint Board is reviewing the complaint she filed.
Despite an internal affairs investigation recommending Pierce be exonerated for reasonable force, the board disagreed. They also found Pierce's body cam footage differed from the police report he wrote.
At 10:01 p.m., on March 8, 2024, Pierce was dispatched to the 3900 block of Payne Branch Road at the Days Inn hotel on the report of trouble with a person. According to a probable cause for Glover's arrest written by Pierce, he heard loud arguing from inside the hotel and saw Glover yelling at the front desk staff regarding a refund.
Due to Glover being in an "irate state," Pierce had her step outside so he could talk to her.
Pierce explained that her wanting a refund was a civil matter, and there was nothing police could do, but Glover stated she was not leaving without her money. Pierce explained that once she was trespassed, and if she refused to leave, she would go to jail. Glover said she didn't care and continued to yell
Bhavesh Patel, who was hotel staff, said Glover was no longer welcome at the business, and Glover stated, "Bet, I'll be back."
Pierce began walking back to his patrol car, but noticed Glover walking back toward the business. Pierce once again told Glover that she needed to leave, or she would go to jail. Glover refused, and Pierce told her to turn around as she was being arrested.
Glover refused to turn around.
Pierce physically attempted to turn her around, but Glover was pulling away. Pierce did a physical takedown to get her on the ground. He delivered two knee strikes to Glover's back, attempting to gain control of her hands before delivering an elbow strike to her.
Bystanders began yelling and attempting to surround Pierce, and Glover pulled herself from her sweatshirt, which caused Pierce to lose control of her hands. Eventually, the officer grabbed her and pushed her against his police vehicle. While detained, she requested medical attention for head pain.
Citizens' Police Complaint Board: How to report Indianapolis police misconduct allegations
On June 9, 2025, Glover told her side of what happened to the board. She said she tried to talk to Pierce, but he said, "I don't care," and he was telling hotel staff, 'Come here and trespass her so I can take her to jail.'
The full interaction is less than 4 minutes on body-cam footage that the board watched.
It showed that as soon as Pierce entered the hotel, he was seen waving for Glover to step outside. Although visibly upset and angry, Glover complied. It also showed Pierce dismissing Glover, who was trying to explain the situation to him.
"If you're telling me this is a civil matter, and I have to go to court, I need receipts to show that I actually paid, and the front desk didn't want to give me receipts," Glover said. "I thought (Pierce) was going to give me paperwork, but he was like, 'Leave, leave!' and then he just attacked me."
Footage showed Glover stating she would be back for receipts since police couldn't do anything that night. As Pierce was leaving, the video shows him turning around when Glover started walking and talking outside angrily in front of the hotel.
Pierce tells her a final time to leave, but after Glover repeatedly states, "I need paperwork." That's when Pierce grabs her, and a struggle ensues.
"I did not see an officer trying to resolve the situation," said Brett B. Thomas, a civilian member of the board. "I saw an officer escalating the situation. He didn't give her much of a warning. He just kept saying it's a civil matter with no explanation of what that means or whether she could get her money back. He escalated the situation and then used force."
Indianapolis police Sgt. Wayne Shelton, who is also on the board, explained that in his initial statement, Pierce said he thought he grabbed her hoodie and not her hair.
Another board member, Officer William Payne, criticized Glover's actions, stating she was angry and combative, and from a law enforcement point of view, both the officer and the civilian played a part in the resulting situation.
"It's not her job to de-escalate," countered Gabriel Vaughn, a civilian board member appointed in May by the mayor's office.
The initial charge by the board was against Pierce's use of force, but they discussed introducing another charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer, accusing him of mocking and demeaning Glover. But the process for how that could happen wasn't clear since people only have 60 days from the date of an interaction to file a complaint with the board.
Glover's case, filed more than a year earlier, shows the cracks caused by the board's backlog.
"We're so far behind," Board President Kenneth Riggins said. "We're finally catching up with these cases."
The majority of the board voted contrary to the police department's findings and determined Pierce should not be exonerated. Riggins agreed to meet with Indianapolis Police Chief Chris Bailey to discuss the board's findings. The chief does not have to accept the board's recommendation.
Officer Pierce has been with IMPD for 5 years and was awarded Northwest District Officer of the Year in 2024.
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Woman says IMPD officer pulled her braids out. Body cam footage shows all
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