In a surprising turn of events, a Manhattan court has dismissed an assault case against a woman accused of attacking a pro-life activist during a street interview in New York City.

The case against Brianna Rivers, charged with punching Savannah Craven Antao in April, was dropped due to a procedural error by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, prompting plans for a civil lawsuit from the victim’s legal team, as Fox News reports.

The incident occurred in April when Antao, a reporter for the pro-life organization Live Action, was conducting a street interview in New York City. During the interaction with Rivers, a 30-year-old Bronx resident, tensions escalated.

Shocking video captures encounter

Video footage of the encounter, which later went viral, showed Rivers becoming visibly frustrated during the conversation. The recording captured her stopping mid-speech before delivering two blows to Antao’s face. The impact sent Antao reeling off camera, leaving her cut and bloodied.

Following the attack, Antao sought medical attention at an emergency room, where she received stitches. The medical bills from the incident amounted to $3,000, according to her legal representatives.

After striking Antao, Rivers was seen walking away from the scene with both middle fingers extended, as reported by the Thomas More Society, a law firm representing Antao. Rivers was later charged with second-degree assault in connection with the incident.

Procedural error leads to dismissal

In July, the assault case against Rivers was dismissed by a Manhattan court.

The dismissal came after the Manhattan District Attorney’s office failed to submit required evidence by a critical deadline.

The D.A.’s office attributed the oversight to the case being reassigned to a different prosecutor.

They have since acknowledged the mistake and issued a formal apology to Antao for the error.

“Every victim deserves their day in court, and our office has reached out to apologize to Ms. Craven Antao for the unacceptable error of missing the discovery deadline,” a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said. “We are taking immediate internal steps in light of this case.”

Legal team plans civil action

Despite the dismissal of criminal charges, Antao’s legal team is not backing down. The Thomas More Society, an Illinois-based law firm, announced plans to file a civil lawsuit against Rivers on Antao’s behalf.

Christopher Ferrara, senior counsel at the Thomas More Society, sharply criticized the handling of the case by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“District Attorney Bragg’s shocking refusal to uphold justice only works to undermine confidence in the system, especially when our political climate has become as fraught as it is now,” Ferrara said.

“Failing to prosecute these clear-cut charges sets a dangerous standard for how our society responds to violence against those engaging in democratic dialogue,” Ferrara added. His comments reflect broader concerns about the implications of the case dismissal.

Calls for reform grow

The Manhattan D.A.’s office also noted that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been advocating for changes to New York’s discovery laws. They pointed to dismissals like this one as evidence of the need for reform in the legal process.

Meanwhile, Rivers took to Facebook to share her perspective on the incident, offering an apology while also suggesting Antao provoked the altercation. “To Savannah, I sincerely apologize but cannot sit around and allow you to continue pushing this one sided narrative,” she wrote. “I understand hands being put on someone is never the answer, but throwing rocks and hiding hands is worse.”

Rivers further claimed Antao was not a legitimate reporter but a “professional antagonist” and called for the release of the full video footage. “She knows the truth, and she needs to release the footage in its entirety,” Rivers added. Her statements have added another layer of complexity to the public discourse surrounding the incident.