So a hostile mouthy gang-banger, who hadn't been frisked, 3am at night, being constained, is being "assaulted"?
If you change the rules in one situation -- you immediately change the rules across the board. Putting everyone, including cops - safety at risk.
The reason cops have strict rules, guidelines and procedures (in their handbooks), and personal interpretation is taken out of their hands -- is precisely for that. Protecting the city's ass. By making them apply the same conduct uniformly there is little chance of doing things incorrectly, thereby opening up lawsuit potential. Hence the term "do things by the book, and cover your ass".
Funny, if you and I were short-changed. We would've called the cops. Now if she pulled an attitude like that, and the cop just wrote some b.s. report, did nothing, handed it back to you -- you'd be the FIRST one on here bitching about how the stupid cop did DICK when you called him, and let the stupid bitch get away with ripping you off. Funny how the interpretation changes when you're the victim.
btw: If she really got $60k for merely being pepper sprayed -- there's probably a few million also in line who should be filing lawsuits too. Great precedent for easy cash.