Heartbreaking bodycam footage captured the downfall of a plus size internet star who demanded extra plane seats for fat fliers before she vanished without a trace.
Jaelynn Chaney, 29, was arrested outside of a hospital in Kennewick, Washington, last February for assault after throwing a series of punches at a police officer and has since gone to ground, abandoning her hugely-popular TikTok and Instagram accounts.
In a series of bodycam clips obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail from that night, Chaney was seen being hoisted into the rear of an evidence van by six burly officers. Chaney was forced to endure that indignity because her 550 pound weight meant she was too big to fit in a Ford Explorer police cruiser sent to bring her into detention.
Laying on the ground wearing nothing but a hospital gown, two officers rolled Chaney onto a large lifting bag loaned to them by the area fire department while she groaned in agony.
The six then coordinated themselves around Chaney, who claimed throughout the series of clips that she was having a mental health episode, and the bag as they hoisted the 550lb fat rights activist and influencer into the back of the vehicle.
Due to her 6XL frame, three officers also had to clip three sets of handcuffs together into a 'daisy chain' to restrain Chaney, due to the amount of excess skin on the underside of her arms restricting her movement.
As Chaney was lifted into the van, she screamed out: 'I can't breathe, I can't f breathe. What the f*', before she started calling out her own name. Her protests stopped after she was set down on the floor of the evidence van.
The sad incident happened after Chaney exploded in a fit rage as the group of officers attempted to lead her away from the hospital in a wheelchair.
Jaelynn Chaney, seen here inside the hospital in Kennewick last February, was arrested outside of the facility after staff dialed 911 to have her removed after she was allegedly abusive to staff
Chaney was hoisted into the back of an evidence van by six burly officers after she lashed out at them
The six managed to roll the 550lb influencer onto a lift given to them by the local fire department
After being led away, Chaney got back to her feet and attempted to walk back to the facility before two officers told her to continue making her way to an awaiting police cruiser.
'I'll f kill you guys', she said to the two before she threw a number of punches at them.
That outburst prompted a third officer to step in, with the three men pooling their handcuffs into the 'daisy chain' used to secure Chaney's hands behind her back.
Chaney rambled incoherently throughout her arrest as two officers held her up before they attempted to usher her into the rear of a police cruiser.
She fell to the ground as she did, before complaining to officers that she could no longer stand up.
'Hands up don't shoot, hands up don't rape, hands up don't shoot. I'm disabled, I assaulted an officer please take me jail', she screamed as she lay on the ground in a heap.
'How can we assist you in getting up?' one of the officers said to her, to which she responded: 'You can't.'
Over the next few minutes the officers could be heard discussing different avenues of transporting her to the nearby jail before they landed on the evidence van.
Chaney was caught in the obtained footage lashing out at one officer, throwing wild punches - which resulted in her arrest
Chaney rambled incoherently throughout her arrest and claimed she couldn't breathe as she was lifted into the evidence van
The fat rights activist from Kennewick, Washington, became a huge internet star after demanding free extra seats for overweight fliers. She vanished from public view last year
Officers had to use three pairs of handcuffs linked together to restrain her after she started throwing punches at them
The bodycam footage also detailed her journey to the nearby jail after one of the officers sat in the rear of the vehicle with her. She was seen rolling around on the floor of the van as it turned corners.
After her arrival she was seen sitting upright in the back, with a female officer having to cover her in a towel after part of the gown fell down and exposed her.
Workers from inside the hospital dialed 911 and told officers that the influencer was being an 'unruly' nightmare and requested help to get her removed from the facility.
She ended up in the hospital after being brought in via ambulance, workers called for help after she was said to have started yelling and screaming obscenities at staff.
Chaney was taken to Benton County Jail in Kennewick, where she was charged with third-degree assault and resisting arrest.
Arrest reports also seen by the Daily Mail described Chaney as telling officers that she would kill their families and told them to 'burn in hell'.
In March, while still in custody, Chaney's public defender filed an order for a competency evaluation, saying she was suffering from a 'mental disease or defect'.
Following that, she was ordered to undergo inpatient treatment by order of the state inside Eastern State Hospital after being found to be 'incompetent'.
That was on March 11, with the court later having to sign an order on March 14 allowing Benton County Jail officers to use 'force' to move her to the hospital after she refused.
Chaney was taken to Benton County Jail, where she was charged withthird-degree assault and resisting arrest
Chaney, who promoted her cause on CNN and The Washington Post, had hinted at troubles in her personal life in her final posts last year
In May, health officials handed over an inpatient evaluation saying in their opinion she was suffering from delirium due to sepsis, an unspecified personality disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.
As part of the evaluation, Chaney told officials that she was recently single, having called off her engagement of six years with her fiancé Jacob Ard.
She claimed that Ard, who is also a plus-size influencer, 'tried to kill us both on a business trip', saying she had 'found out who he was'.
Her father Jerome Chaney told the Daily Mail last year he believed the incident had happened after his daughter - who publicly identifies as polyamorous - caught her ex-fiancé Jacob Ard with another man, resulting in an alleged domestic assault.
Throughout her time in state hospital, healthcare professionals noted she was not compliant with treatment and would frequently use her call light to request water, to have her alarm turned off, to ask for a chaplain, and to have her bed made.
The report said she would consistently use foul language while declining to shower and reported to them daily that she was either pregnant, in labor or having a miscarriage, despite negative pregnancy tests.
Staff resorted to interacting with her from the hallway in the hospital or in pairs after finding her 'condescending and derogatory' the report added.
In May, after the report was submitted to the court, the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case.
Chaney first came to public view in 2023 after saying airlines should provide as many free seats as fat fliers need to spread themselves out, despite warnings such a move would increase regular ticket prices.
She went on to attack staff at Seattle Tacoma Airport in May 2024 for refusing to push her wheelchair up a jet bridge, even though she could walk.
Later the same month, Chaney condemned staff at Chicago O'Hare Airport who refused to help her after she got stuck inside a revolving door.