A routine traffic stop in Dover, Delaware, quickly spiraled into a violent confrontation in which a taser was used on a mother of four. The incident began when Sierra Hopkins, 38, was pulled over on South Bay Rd. over an alleged insurance issue. But when the police ran her driver’s license and vehicle registration, they found that both had been suspended.
At the time, Hopkins was in the car with her four children, all of whom are minors. Reportedly, the trooper initially tried to accommodate her situation. Hopkins was allowed to drive away from the scene without having her car immediately impounded.
It’s a very tricky situation
However, the trooper later changed his mind after determining that department protocol required him to tow the vehicle for public safety. He then followed Hopkins and initiated a second traffic stop near a McDonald’s on East Lebanon Rd. According to The Enquirer, it was at this point that a bystander started recording because the trooper and Hopkins had begun struggling.
The trooper wanted Hopkins to get out of her car, but she allegedly refused. The encounter quickly turned into a physical confrontation as the trooper struggled to remove her from the vehicle. Situations like this have turned fatal in past incidents, and considering there were children in the car, the officer was faced with a very tricky situation.
In the video, the officer can be seen using defensive strikes before finally deploying a taser to subdue and detain Hopkins. State police now claim that Hopkins was trying to scratch and kick the trooper in the face and that using the taser was the only non-fatal option available. The bystander then uploaded the video to social media, where it immediately went viral.
A woman in Dover, Delaware refused to comply with troopers, got violent, and had to be pulled out of her car and forcibly arrested.
— Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) July 9, 2026
Her family is now fundraising on GoFundMe to cover her fees. This is what happens when crime is rewarded instead of punished. pic.twitter.com/TC833BBHl9
However, once the video spread and people realized Hopkins was asking for GoFundMe donations to help fight her case in court, some people were not exactly supportive. One user wrote, “The audacity to ask for a GoFundMe after acting like that is a special kind of delusional. Some people really have no shame.” Another added, “Culture of violence and self entitlement. Needs to do a long prison sentence to sober up.”
The audacity to ask for a GoFundMe after acting like that is a special kind of delusional. Some people really have no shame.
— DogePamp | spcx.sol (@DogePampHQ) July 10, 2026
Culture of violence and self entitlement. Needs to do a long prison sentence to sober the fuck up.
— Todd Trader (@ToddETrader) July 9, 2026
The family has raised 17% of their target
The family is asking for $4,500 on the website, and so far they have raised $725 (only 17% of their target). In their plea to the public, Hopkins’ sister wrote: “Our immediate goal is to raise the funds needed to secure her release so she can be reunited with them as soon as possible. They are asking for 10,000 cash for her release. She is a single mother of 4 children with a very fixed income in this tough economy!!”
Hopkins is reportedly facing charges of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. She is also facing additional charges of four counts of child endangerment, resisting arrest with force causing injury, criminal mischief, and driving with a suspended license.
Despite Hopkins not attracting much public sympathy, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer took the matter very seriously. The governor pledged a full, transparent investigation into the trooper’s actions. He also promised to evaluate internal enforcement policies to determine whether a situation like this could be avoided in the future.
