Aida Guzman: Charges dropped against woman punched by Philadelphia police officer

The woman punched in the face by a Philadelphia Police officer on video will not face criminal charges, District Attorney Seth Williams’ office announced.

Aida Guzman, 39, of Chester, had been charged with disorderly conduct following the punch, which was captured on cell phone video and posted in a 36-second video on YouTube. The video quickly went viral, drawing national media attention and forcing police to launch an Internal Affairs investigation into Lt. Jonathan Josey, the cop who threw the punch.

On the video, Guzman is seen standing near a group of officers when something is sprayed on them. As she attempts to walk away, Josey comes up behind her and punches in the face, knocking her to the ground. He immediately handcuffs her before two officers haul her off towards the camera, which shows her bloodied lip.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey yesterday said he was “deeply troubled” by the video, adding that, “From what I saw, it’s difficult to justify the actions that took place.”

Guzman has not indicated whether she plans to press charges or sue the city.

Josey, a 19-year veteran of the force who was a 2006 Daily News Sexy Single, has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation. He fatally shot a man in 2010 during an armed robbery at a Montgomery County 7-Eleven.