LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (August 12, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who represents 18-year-old Alisa Hackett, released the following statement after a federal lawsuit filed this week alleged that Trooper Moisses Arellano told Hackett he was going to “tune” her up because of her attitude before taking her to the ground and punching her in the face during an August 1 traffic stop near Manila.
Arellano remains on active duty. An Arkansas State Police spokesperson said Tuesday that “all uses of force are reviewed internally,” and the agency has otherwise declined to comment.
Attorney Crump issued the following statement:
“Tune her up. That is what this trooper said he was going to do to an 18-year-old girl, and then he slammed her on the pavement and punched her in the face. Those are not the words of an officer who felt threatened. They are the words of a man who decided a teenager needed to be taught a lesson.
“This was never about a speeding ticket. Alisa asked him what she had done. She questioned him, and he decided her attitude had earned her a closed fist. That is not law enforcement. That is punishment handed out on the side of a highway.
“Eleven days later, he is still on the road with a badge and a gun. Arkansas State Police say uses of force are reviewed internally. The video is public, the trooper’s own report is public, and the only people in Arkansas who will not say anything about it are the people responsible for him.
“Administrative leave is what a serious agency does while it finds out what happened. Refusing to do it tells Alisa, and every other young person driving through Arkansas at night, exactly who the agency is trying to protect.”
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Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
