On April 4, 2023, Northampton Massachusetts police officer John Sellew conducted a traffic stop on Marisol Driouech’s Kia Soul. Driouech who is female, five feet tall, 120 lbs, 60 years sold and of Puerto Rican decent drove by the officer with only one headlight operable. Driouech was picking up a food order at a nearby restaurant which she was delivering to a customer. English is not Driouech’s primary language.
Officer Sellew requests and then demands the driver’s license and registration several times, appears to become increasingly frustrated with the driver and calls for additional units to respond to the scene.
When Driouech failed to comply quickly officer Sellew orders the driver out of the car. According to reports the driver began rolling up her window and reached for the car’s gearshift. Officer Sellew then reached into the vehicle and began to pull the 60 year old woman out of the car. The officer stated in his police report that the driver took possession of the police officer’s baton. After a struggle a second officer shows up. Marisol Driouech was pepper-sprayed twice, placed in handcuffs and arrested.
An internal affairs investigation by the Northampton Police Department found Officer Sellew’s use of force to be within the department’s policies.
“It is clear to me that a slower, more considered interaction and more effective communication could have avoided the escalation of the situation. I was very concerned to see the situation escalate to such a degree on the video and strongly disagree with how the officer handled it,” said City Mayor Gina Louise-Sciarra.