The officer who pulled a woman to the ground during an arrest at an asylum seekers’ centre (azc) in Zeist has said he would have done things differently had he known she was expecting.
As reported by NOS, his statement comes after footage of the May 19 arrest spread rapidly across social media, sparking a fierce debate about police conduct in the Netherlands.
The original incident showed an officer with a police dog grabbing a visibly pregnant woman by the arm and dragging her to the ground. She was later pulled away by her hood and arm as a separate confrontation unfolded nearby.
What the officer says
In a statement published on the police website, the force confirmed the officer was unaware of the woman’s pregnancy during the arrest. He claims that, had he known, he would have acted differently.
Her pregnancy only became known during the incident itself; she told officers after being pulled away a second time. Ambulance personnel examined her immediately afterwards, reports NOS.
How the arrest unfolded
Officers were called to the Zeist azc after a disturbance involving threats and a weapon.
NOS reports that when they arrived, a COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) employee handed over a bread knife he’d already taken from the suspect, a 30-year-old man.
A video of a Dutch policeman throwing a heavily pregnant woman to the ground has caused outrage. The woman says police attacked her at a migration centre where authorities had detained her Palestinian husband. pic.twitter.com/TL6ZtF3fNh
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 31, 2026
Officers suspected the man might still have a second blade. A taser was drawn as they negotiated him out of a room he’d retreated into. It was later revealed he did not have a second weapon.
During the ensuing confrontation between the suspect and an officer, the woman stepped in. She had been repeatedly urged to move away for her own protection, but hadn’t done so, the police say.
When an officer pulled her back by the arm, she fell. A second video shows her being removed from the scene by her hood and arm while other officers restrained the suspect on the ground. A formal investigation is now underway.
Online anger isn’t going away
The police statement reaffirmed confidence in the officers, acknowledging that they “make choices under high pressure day in and day out.”
Since the original footage began circulating, authorities have received a torrent of abuse and serious threats online directed both at individual officers and between commenters. Both the Instagram and Facebook comment sections have now been shut down entirely.
Does the officer’s account change how you see what happened? Let us know in the comments.
No it doesn’t change. she was not a threat. pregnant or not, that is NO WAY to handle any woman who is cooperating. this guy is an emotionally-disregulated thug, not a man! You all need to do better!! I’m glad mum and baby are ok.
she was dragged by her hair you lying arse holes.