Wayne woman upset trooper pulled out gun during traffic stop

WRAL News asked the North Carolina State Highway Patrol about video circulating on social media that show a trooper pulling his gun during a traffic stop.

The Highway Patrol says Anna Amaya was ultimately arrested for resisting arrest, failure to show ID and not wearing a seatbelt.

The video, which has been viewed more than 1 million times, was recorded by Amaya's teen daughter.

Both Amaya, 36, and the Highway Patrol agree she was pulled over by Trooper Zachary B. Price and asked to step out of the vehicle. When she did not produce identification and questioned the trooper, Amaya says, her daughter began rolling the video.

The trooper can be heard asking Amaya repeatedly to put her hands behind her back. He is visible pulling out his gun.

What is outside the frame, according to the Highway Patrol, is two teens getting out of the car to back up Amaya.

In a statement, the Highway Patrol said:

"During the attempted arrest, the front seat passenger (16-year-old female) exited the passenger side and began walking around the rear of the truck. Trooper Price drew his patrol issued handgun, pointed it at the female passenger, and instructed her to stop and not to approach him as her intentions were unknown. A second female passenger (18-year-old female) also repeatedly exited the vehicle and walked around the rear of the pickup truck and Trooper Price repeatedly told the passengers to get back in the car."

Lee Turner, a defense attorney and former Raleigh police officer reviewed the video, pointing out, "If you watch this video very closely you will see that the gun that has the hand in it, he never places his finger on the trigger, it's going across the top of the barrel, he is taking a defensive posture to make sure it's not a threat."

Still, Amaya said she is traumatized from the trooper pointing his weapon at her child.

"The situation was horrific, and I feel like there’s no need for violence," she said.

The family has hired an attorney.

The Highway Patrol says Price, a six-year veteran of the force, remains on active duty while the incident is reviewed.