Police bodycam footage from a 2023 domestic disturbance at a Utah residence has been released, revealing the chaotic circumstances surrounding an aggravated assault arrest. The video captures Dakota Mortensen pleading with responding officers to arrest him instead of Taylor Frankie Paul, despite law enforcement determining Paul was the primary aggressor in the incident.
The footage obtained by media outlets begins as Herriman City Police Department officers arrived at the residence, where Paul and Mortensen were engaged in a heated verbal altercation. Officers immediately separated the individuals upon entering the home. The video shows Paul appearing visibly intoxicated, stumbling through the residence and collapsing over a sink while crying.
Mortensen provided his account to responding officers, stating Paul was "not doing okay" and indicating there were deeper issues at play. He displayed injuries to officers that he attributed to the physical altercation. During this conversation, Paul reportedly stormed into the area and ordered Mortensen to leave the property.
After Paul was taken into custody, the bodycam footage captures Mortensen asking officers if he could be arrested instead. Law enforcement personnel explained to him that the arrest represented a significant intervention opportunity. Mortensen responded by expressing his desire for Paul to receive assistance, stating, "I truly just want her to get help."
The arrest sequence documented in the footage includes a moment in which one of Paul's children observed from inside the home as she was handcuffed. Paul was subsequently escorted to the garage, where her parents had arrived to assume care of the children, before being transported in a police vehicle.
Following the incident, Paul entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault charges. She received a sentence of three years' probation, which is scheduled to conclude in August. Prosecutors dismissed four additional charges in connection with the case, including domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief.
The release of video footage from the incident had significant professional consequences for Paul. ABC network canceled an entire season of a reality television program in which she was scheduled to appear. The program was set to premiere on March 22 before the network made the decision to pull it entirely.
The bodycam footage provides a comprehensive view of how law enforcement responds to domestic disturbance calls, documenting the assessment process, separation of involved parties, and the determination of primary aggressors in such incidents. The case underscores the complexities officers face when responding to domestic situations involving multiple parties and children present in the home.
