Bodycam footage published by the YouTube channel Sgt. Pepperspray showed police responding to an assault outside a pediatric dentist's office on November 9, 2024.
According to the video, a mother, identified in the footage as Tessa, was attacked by her ex's girlfriend after they had brought their son to a dental appointment.
Tessa told officers she and the child's father, identified as Trace, had spent the day together after the appointment, eating lunch and meeting with a prospective nanny. She said Trace's girlfriend, identified as Morgan, arrived at the scene, got into Trace's truck, and asked him if she could "beat the sh-t out of" Tessa in front of their son.
Trace responded by saying not in front of the child, then walked away with their son. She told officers Morgan put on brass knuckles and punched her repeatedly in the face and arm while she sat in the truck.
@grover.sainsbury Mom Attacked with Brass Knuckles Outside Kid’s Dentist #policeofficer#copsusa#bodycam
♬ original sound - WOULD earth
"She had brass knuckles on. I can show you pictures," Tessa said. She added, "This sh-t hurts, man," while describing pain in her jaw, cheek, and arm, and told officers her tooth felt loose.
Tessa also claimed Morgan reached across her and grabbed a gun from inside the truck during the confrontation. "She literally reached over me and grabbed it, and I don't know where it's at now," she said.
Trace did not agree with parts of Tessa's story, saying he did not witness the punches land because he had moved to the back of the truck with the child. "I didn't see them physically, like actually connecting punches either, because I went to the back of the truck because of the baby," he said.
An officer told Tessa that Trace unlocking the truck for Morgan was not on its own a crime. "Unlocking the truck is not a criminal offense. We can only handle the criminal side. Is it right? No. Did he do it? Maybe. Can we do anything about it? No," the officer said.
The officer added that both Tessa and Trace indicated there was no sign of violence before Morgan got into the truck, meaning Trace could not be shown to have let her in knowing an attack was coming.
The footage also included booking-room video of Morgan being processed at a jail. When a staff member asked how she ended up facing the charge, Morgan declined to explain. "Don't want to talk about it," she said.
Many commenters focused on the potential legal consequences for Morgan. "That is attempted murder … that woman that had the brass knuckles is going away for a very long time," one wrote — though The Daily Dot could not confirm what charges, if any, resulted from the arrest.
Another commenter also blamed the attacker. They wrote, "the person with the brass knuckles is at fault."
Morgan admitted to police she had used brass knuckles and was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to Sgt. Pepperspray, the outcome of the case was not known at the time of publication.
A separate comment focused on the father's behavior rather than the assault itself. They wrote, "a man who doesn't protect the mother of his child over any other woman is an absolute failure of a father. the mother of ur child should come before your own mother even if you aren't together with that person" [sic].
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the identities of those involved, the outcome of the criminal case against Morgan, or several claims made during the encounter, including the alleged attempt to grab a firearm. The details above reflect the bodycam footage and narration as published by the YouTube channel Sgt. Pepperspray.
