It would have been helpful to post a link to the video in your question. I have seen both.
Two things that are glaringly different the two instances: The students should have identified themselves, the school they are with and that they were part of a school project. Throughout the altercation with the students, at any given moment, the students could have settled things down by identifying themselves and their school. That was stupid and bad manners. Do I think Bob Etheridge overreacted? Absolutely. Judging by the look in his eyes, either he was medicated, drunk or is in the early throes of dementia.
Secondly, the girl that got punched in the face was interfering with an officer making an arrest. There was nothing that her presence in that struggle could have in any way helped. There was no indication in the video what cause the arrest, but there were plenty of guys hanging around, watching, which leads me to think, based upon the video footage, that the reasons leading to the arrest of the first girl was valid. Was punching the girl in the face out of line? Absolutely? Was butting into a struggle between an officer and the person he was trying to subdue stupid? Absolutely. I can’t imagine how else a police officer could hang onto someone to cuff them while someone physically interjects the presence into the arrest.
IN BOTH INSTANCES, the people who were assaulted were to blame in part for the outcome. The students should have identified themselves. The girl in pink should have stayed out of it.
Several years ago, a block from my home, my husband and I were headed to the day care center around the corner to pick up our daughter. We were right at 6:00, pick-up time. We were pulled over for brake lights not working. The officer asked for my husband’s license, and told him to stay in the car. I told my husband I was going to get out and walk to the daycare center to get our daughter. When I started to get out of the car, the officer pulled a gun on me, and radioed for backup. I got back into the car, and he yelled at me, “What part of STAY IN THE CAR don’t you understand?” When the back-up came, I pointed to the day care center, and said that all I was going to do was walk over there to get my daughter. The officer explained that when they pull over a vehicle, they have no way of knowing who’s in the car or what the danger to the officer is, and that situations go much better if people just do what they’re told. I could not imagine that in a navy suit, pumps and pearls, I looked too dangerous, but you never know.