By JIMMY LAWTON

A senior staff attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union says the recent incident involving an Ogdensburg woman who was Tased by a border agent in Waddington is disturbing.

On Thursday, May 7, Jess Cooke, 21, said she was pulled in for a secondary inspection after agents said she appeared nervous at the checkpoint.

Cooke said she refused a search of her trunk and was asked to wait for a K-9 Unit to arrive.

A conversation with officers escalated and she was tackled and Tased after she resisted an agent who had grabbed her after she refused to comply with a request for her move.

Cooke filmed the incident whith her phone, which can be seen here.

Alexis Karteron, a senior staff attorney at the NYCLU, said the video raises serious concerns.

“This disturbing video is just the latest report to raise serious concerns about the intrusiveness of Border Patrol's tactics and whether or not they are following the law when they detain people at checkpoints,” she said. “Border Patrol should only detain people for extended periods at checkpoints when there is a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. Tasers are also dangerous weapons that require rules and oversight to ensure they are only ever used when force is needed to address a risk of imminent harm to officers or others.”

Border officials have not released details surrounding the incident because it is being investigated, but the agency released the following statement.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investigating a report from the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector about an altercation between an individual and two Border Patrol agents at a checkpoint on Thursday, May 7. The altercation followed a brief verbal exchange between the individual and the two agents regarding their intent to inspect the vehicle.”

Cooke said she plans to take legal action against the border agents. She said she may also be facing charges for assaulting a federal officer, but has not been formally charged at this point.