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 The family of Marlene Pinnock, a woman who was thrown to the ground and punched repeatedly by a CHP officer in an incident caught on video, announced Sunday that they intend to file a civil-rights lawsuit on her behalf. 
 
 The encounter occurred after Pinnock wandered onto the shoulder of the 10 Freeway near La Brea Avenue, and was recorded by a passing motorist. 
 
 At a news conference in Willowbrook, Pinnock’s daughter described her as a “loving” and “happy” great-grandmother. 
 
 “She’s a nice lady. I don’t understand why this would happen to her," said Maisha Allums. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone else.” 
 
 Attorneys representing Pinnock also attended the news conference, and expressed their belief that the CHP officer – who has been suspended with pay, pending the outcome of an investigation – should not be paid. They said an off-duty officer who helped subdue Pinnock should be suspended as well. 
 
 “It’s our opinion that the CHP officer is the one who is a danger to others. We believe he fits the criteria of 5150 of the welfare and institutions code, and he should be involuntarily detained,” said civil-rights lawyer Caree Harper, referring to the section of California law that regulates an involuntary psychiatric hold. The CHP invoked the 5150 section in taking Pinnock into custody. 
 
 “The tape only shows a small part of what transpired,” CHP Assistant Chief Chris O’Quinn said at a news conference on Friday. “There were events that led up to this. Until all that’s collected and put into perspective, we aren’t going to be able to make a determination.” 
 
 He said the agency would not comment on the details of the incident during its investigation, which he predicted would conclude in the coming weeks. 
 
 “What caused the officer to respond in the way he has has not been thoroughly evaluated, so I don’t want to provide you with an opinion,” O’Quinn told reporters. 
 
 Pinnock's relatives also questioned the quality of care she was receiving at a facility in South Los Angeles, where they have visited her on two occasions. 
 
 They said they intend to mobilize their own medical trauma experts, and hoped to relocate her to a location that is not operated by Los Angeles County. 

 A graphic incident in Los Angeles is under investigation after video emerged of a police officer beating a woman on the side of a highway. 
 
 The video was recorded along the Santa Monica freeway last Tuesday during the afternoon rush hour. In it, 51-year-old grandmother Marlene Pinnock is seen being pulled to the ground and pummeled by an unidentified California Highway Patrol officer. 
 
 It's unclear what Pinnock was doing walking along the highway at the time. 
 
 "The focal point of what she did on the freeway is simple. She got beat, savagely beat by someone who seemed to be trying out for mixed martial arts. And it's unacceptable," said the woman's attorney, Caree Harper. 
 
 Pinnock's daughter says police kept family members at bay for a week. 
 
 "They wouldn't let me see her. I don't know what was going on, but today was the first day that I was finally able to see her and talk to her and I just thank God that's she's alive," the daughter told reporters. 
 
 CBS News 
 
 The arrest report stated Pinnock became "physically combative," forcing the officer to "place the pedestrian under arrest" with the help of a plainclothes officer. 
 
 The report also says Pinnock "did not advise of any" injuries, but Harper says her client is in pain. 
 
 "She has suffered multiple injuries. She is having to press ice compacts repeatedly on her body, face, arms, shoulders," the lawyer said. 
 
 Pinnock is currently in a medical facility under an involuntary psychiatric hold. 
 
 The officer is on administrative leave while the department investigates. The California Highway Patrol says there's no need for an independent investigation. 
 
 "Our internal investigation process is very, very detailed and thorough and it has credibility throughout the country," CHP Assistant Chief Chris O'Quinn said. 
 
 But some community activists are calling for a federal investigation.
– A California family says it intends to file a civil rights lawsuit after video surfaced of a California Highway Patrol officer repeatedly punching a woman in the face on the side of the highway. The woman, 51-year-old grandmother Marlene Pinnock, was unarmed. According to the arrest report, the woman, who is allegedly homeless, was walking along the road and became "physically combative," CBS News reports. She's been deemed a "5150," according to KTLA, which refers to the California welfare code under which mentally ill people are confined if they are a danger to themselves or others. "It's our opinion that the CHP officer is the one who is a danger to others," one civil rights lawyer said. "We believe he fits the criteria of 5150." The officer has been suspended with pay, and police say they're investigating. "The tape only shows a small part of what transpired," one CHP official said. "There were events that led up to this." The family has also questioned the care Pinnock is receiving at a South LA hospital; her daughter complains that for a week, police wouldn't let them see her.