BUCKEYE, AZ — A new federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against the City of Buckeye and a now-former police officer, caught on camera hitting a pregnant woman.
The officer, Carri Carrico, has since been indicted on two counts of aggravated assault, stemming from two incidents in less than a year.
One of those involved Mackenzie Padilla, who was nine months pregnant when she was arrested by Carrico eight months ago.
Padilla and her new baby are now represented by John Griffiths.
The lawsuit, which was filed this week, alleges Padilla was subjected to an "unlawful and invasive search", racially derogatory comments, and a "violent" assault.
In November 2025, Padilla was arrested by Carrico for reckless driving.
The ABC15 Investigators obtained body camera video that detailed the traffic stop leading up to Padilla's arrest.
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The 21-year-old was ultimately handcuffed behind her back and transported to the Buckeye Police Department booking facility.
Surveillance video from inside the booking room shows Carrico pushing the pregnant woman against a wall and dragging her back to a bench.
The video also shows Carrico swinging her arm toward the woman's head.
"We've filed this claim against the city to hopefully bring more awareness and some accountability for what's happening," said Griffiths in an exclusive interview with ABC15.
The lawsuit alleges Padilla's civil rights were violated and accuses Carrico of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
As for the City of Buckeye, the complaint alleges Carrico had a pattern of misconduct, and the city imposed only minimal discipline.
The lawsuit details three different incidents involving Carrico's behavior, including one from December of 2025.
"...a Citizen Complaint (CC2025-0031) was sustained against Officer Carrico for discourteous conduct during a traffic stop," said the lawsuit. "Once again, the only discipline imposed was verbal counseling."
"In this case, the officer in question, I think needs to be held accountable," said Griffiths. "And there's, I think, some questions about lapses of judgment and maybe some training. "You know, and a lot more questions that need to be answered as we get into this, I think, as this case progresses."
Back in June, Carrico resigned from the Buckeye Police Department. Last week, she pleaded not guilty to the two aggravated assault charges.
