Newly released police body-camera video from the May 2023 domestic-violence call at Taylor Frankie Paul’s Herriman, Utah, home shows the social-media star visibly intoxicated, her then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen pleading to be arrested in her place, and one of the influencer’s young children watching as officers handcuffed their mother and led her away.
Officers Arrive to Screaming and Chaos
The 25-minute clip, first published by TMZ, begins the moment Herriman City officers step out of their cruisers. Even before the front door opens, Paul and Mortensen can be heard shouting over each other inside. Once the door swings wide, the camera captures Paul stumbling through the foyer, her words slurred, her balance unsteady. An officer immediately separates the couple, guiding Mortensen toward the kitchen while another follows Paul into the living room.
Within seconds the scene grows more volatile. Paul attempts to pour herself a glass of water but collapses forward over the sink, sobbing. “I can’t do this anymore,” she wails, her voice cracking. Mortensen, standing a room away, lifts his shirt to reveal red scratches along his ribcage and a bruise blooming across his shoulder. “She’s not okay,” he tells the officer. “I can’t even tell you the stuff that’s happened to me.” Moments later Paul storms back, points at Mortensen and yells, “Get him out of my house!”
Dakota Asks Cops to ‘Take Me Instead’
After interviewing both parties, investigators determine Paul was the primary aggressor. When an officer walks toward her with handcuffs, Mortensen steps forward. “Can you take me instead?” he asks. “She needs help, not jail.” The officer calmly explains that state law requires the predominant aggressor be taken into custody and that the night could serve as the wake-up call Paul needs. “I truly just want her to get help,” Mortensen repeats, his voice breaking.
The exchange underscores the complicated emotions inside the home. While Paul ultimately was the one charged, Mortensen’s insistence that he be detained illustrates the tangled aftermath of the couple’s fight, which reportedly began over parenting disagreements and escalated into thrown objects and physical contact.
Children Witness the Arrest
Perhaps the most unsettling portion of the footage occurs once Paul is escorted to the garage. A small child—whose face is blurred by authorities—peers around a doorway as officers walk Paul past in handcuffs. The youngster’s presence confirms prosecutors’ original allegation of domestic violence in the presence of a child, one of four counts later dropped in a plea deal.
Paul’s parents arrive minutes later to care for the children. Body-cam audio captures an officer briefing them: “She’s going to be booked for aggravated assault. The kids are safe, but they saw more than they should have.” Paul’s mother nods silently, tears in her eyes.
What the Charges and Sentence Look Like Now
Paul, 30, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one felony count of aggravated assault. Four additional misdemeanors—domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, assault, and criminal mischief—were dismissed under the plea agreement. A judge sentenced her to three years of supervised probation, mandatory mental-health counseling, and a parenting class. If she completes the terms without violation, the felony can be reduced to a misdemeanor. Probation is set to expire in August 2026.
From TikTok Fame to Headline Mugshot
Before the arrest, Paul commanded more than four million TikTok followers chronicling “MomTok,” a cluster of young Mormon mothers in the Salt Lake valley who built lucrative followings documenting dance trends, day-in-the-life clips, and candid chats about divorce and co-parenting. Brands such as FashionNova, Shein, and a handful of local Utah boutiques regularly partnered with her for paid posts estimated at $15,000 each.
The scandal fractured the once tight-knit creator collective. Several MomTok personalities publicly distanced themselves, and at least three sponsors quietly declined to renew contracts, according to industry-tracking firm SocialBlade. Paul’s own posting schedule slowed to a trickle for months, though she has since resumed occasional sponsored content and Q-and-A sessions about life on probation.
How the Night Unfolded—Minute by Minute
- 10:42 p.m. – Neighbors call 911 after hearing “items being thrown” and “a woman screaming.”
- 10:46 p.m. – First patrol car arrives; audio captures shouting inside.
- 10:48 p.m. – Officers separate Paul and Mortensen; Paul collapses at the kitchen sink.
- 10:53 p.m. – Mortensen shows injuries; tells police he wants to take the blame.
- 11:02 p.m. – Investigators rule Paul the aggressor; handcuff her as a child watches.
- 11:09 p.m. – Paul
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