Wake Forest police respond to video of officer removing woman from car during traffic stop

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Wake Forest Police Department is responding to a video of a Friday traffic stop that began circulating online.

Part of the video shows an officer breaking a window and removing the driver from a car. The incident happened just after 2:30 p.m. Friday in the 200 block of Plott Hound Lane, ending along Wait Avenue.

Wake Forest police said officers were investigating a reported felony assault by strangulation involving teens, a 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl. According to police, Maria Del Carmen Rendon, 35, fled in a car with the boy and three other juveniles.

Authorities said Rendon came close to striking an officer, ran a stop sign and nearly collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer. Officers initiated a traffic stop and Rendon pulled over,

Police said an officer repeatedly asked Rendon to exit the car and told her she could open the door or have her window broken. The officer then broke the driver's side window and removed Rendon.

The boy was taken into custody and Rendon was charged with resist, delay and obstruct, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, driving while license revoked and careless/reckless driving.

"While investigating a felony assault, we were forced to react to a situation that was entirely avoidable," said Police Chief Jeff Leonard. "None of this would have happened had Ms. Rendon not recklessly fled the scene endangering the lives of her young passengers and motorists in the area and had she exited her vehicle when officers repeatedly asked her to do so. Most of our residents offer no resistance during the calls we respond to, but unfortunately in this case we met resistance at every turn from Ms. Rendon and the male suspect."

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