Confrontation caught on camera when officer curses at passenger and grabs cellphone

WEST COVINA, CA (FOX 11) - It's a heated confrontation with a police officer insisting a passenger put her phone down

When she doesn't, he curses and grabs it out of her hand and it's all caught on camera!

This video blew up on Facebook with most people taking the drivers side.

But Wednesday night, FOX 11 got video from police that might have people changing their mind.

"I am going to hold my phone because I know my rights my mom worked for the sheriff department," says passenger Eileen Aquino.

"I don't give a **** who your mom worked for," says the officer.

"You guys have made a bad name for yourself -I'm not putting the phone down ....I am getting out of the car so please don't shoot," says Aquino.

West Covina Police say they pulled over Eileen Aquino and her husband Monday, for driving a car without license plates.

Aquino started recording...refusing orders to put the phone down.

"I am in control of the situation, do you understand that. I am going to tell you when to get out of the car. And right now, I am telling you to put that phone down," said the officer.

Finally, the police officer reaches in, grabbing the phone and stopping the recording.

Aquino posted on social media accusing the officers of crossing the line.
"She made some allegations that the male driver was either struck or beat outside the car and her dress had come up and exposed her," said Lt. Travis Tibbetts with West Covina PD.

But police dash cam video shows a different story.

You can see officers pat her husband down and handcuff him.

Then they are seen handcuffing Aquino.

Police say they weren't concerned about the phone recording.

They were concerned that the phone could be a weapon in disguise.

"We've taught these officers. Cell phones can be weapons they can be stun guns. They can be guns," says Tibbetts.

And officers say they had reason to be cautious Aquino's husband has had problems with the law in the past.

"This wasn't just a regular trafffic stop. This was a driver who West Covina has arrested for a loaded firearm. He is a convicted felon and he's been convited twice for battery on a police order," says Tibbetts.

Police say they are further investigating the situation.

And both parties have something to learn

"There may be some training points out of this...

If a person's conduct delays or resists or obstructs that officer, it becomes criminal it becomes a violation of the criminal code," says Tibbetts.

Police say they didn't arrest Aquino and her husband last week.

But the couple did file a complaint with police .

They had initially decided to talk to us, but at at some point during the day she deleted her Facebook post, and stopped responding to our messages.