Florida Cop Dumps Quadriplegic, 7 Ohio Cops Strip Search Woman
Are the Numbers of Bad Cops on the Rise?
With video evidence and armed with technology, how should citizens respond to unethical, if not criminal, behavior from the bad seeds among our vigilant protectors of law and order? Consider these two recent stories:
Story One - (Florida) Policeman Dumps Quadriplegic From Wheelchair Onto Floor
Many police are exonerated, and justifiably so, for what looks like criminal behavior to the public, when video and soundbytes are taken out of context. The following incident, involving four Florida deputies, is not one of those misread examples.
Arrested for a traffic violation, the man in this surveillance video appears to be purposely dumped out of his wheelchair onto the floor. The law-breaking quadriplegic, according to MSNBC, claims that he was "ordered to stand up" and that the police officer did not believe him.
Subsequently, the officer apparently tested the quadriplegic's legs and the traffic violator appears to land on his face, not his feet.
"Four Cops Suspended for Dumping Man from Wheelchair"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-FCmNb6OXYw
(See resources below for video link)
Story Two - (Stark County, Ohio) "Outrageous Strip Search", Couple Files Lawsuit
Channel 3 News (WKYC) obtains an exclusive video of a 120lb woman being strip searched by up to seven law enforcement officials, both male and female. The reason may boil down to how she answered a question.
The story begins with Hope Steffey who is identified as the victim in a 9-1-1 phone call by her cousin.
According to reports, after police arrive, Steffey mistakenly gives an officer the wrong driver's license. It is that of her diseased sister, one she maintains as a treasured keepsake. Stephie begs for the license back, is denied and allegedly told to "shut up about your dead sister," by the policeman.
Steffey points to the officer's pocket and says,"she was here, she was someone," and the "officer threw her face down on the hood of his patrol car, chipping one of her teeth," according to the American Chronicle.
Consequently, Stephie is taken to the Stark County Jail.
At one point, the victim-turned-alleged-lawbreaker is asked, "Do you have any weapons or sharp objects? Have you ever thought of harming yourself?" Steffey responds, "Now or Ever?"
At this point, deputies knock her down, place her legs in a "pretzel position" and minutes of pleas follow as the deputies try to undress her. They begin to remove her underwear and bra, at which point chilling screams from Steffey ensue.
According to the Channel 3 news report (below), for six hours Stephie is locked in a cell naked.
Additionally, she is said to have had a variety of injuries, received no medical assistance and ultimately wraps herself in toilet paper. Stephie is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Video "Brutal Ohio police strip search of a woman"
Warning this video is difficult to watch
(See resources below for video link)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=huaUH2nBEWY
While their is no defense for the cop involved for dumping the paralyzed man out of a wheelchair, the second police station is maintaining a legal defense. Situations such as this make victims think twice about calling the police, regardless.
Good or bad cop? How can we know until it is too late, and how can we respond to our officials who try to minimize what is ultimately a threat to public safety.
Published by Donna Porter
Writer / Journalist -- A Yahoo News! Contributor Donna began her writing and internet career in 1995 in the health industry and became an early dot-com entrepreneur soon after. Masters certified in Internet... View profile
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104 Comments
Post a Commenti just hv to say that what they did was horrible. she was victim and they delibrately just made her a suspect.
This isn't so much an investigation report as it is a smear campaign against Hope Steffey.
They are trying to say that Steffey was resisting enough that EIGHT people couldn't take the chance of ASKING her to remove her cloths, or EVEN TELL HER WHAT WAS GOING ON!!!
What a crock!!
I did NOT see any resisting in the video, I saw eight cops parading her to the cell, with her in cuffs.
In fact EVERY video I have seen she is in cuffs!
And the ONLY times I have seen her react to the cops is after they have assaulted her or in the process of stripping her naked.
The cops can polish this turd as much as want, this STILL STINKS!
BTW I don't know why they bothered to black out the names of Nurse Coren Lennon and the jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz, aren't they PROUD of the work they do?
Ran out of room, sorry:
The report also goes on to say that they lowered Steffey in a slow controlled manner to the floor. Except that Steffey says she was thrown to the floor.
She also told her husband in a phone call that she thought the cops had broken her nose.
And she was treated by the nurse for the injury.
And in page 4 of this report Christy Palmer even states that Steffey reported that her nose was making "crunching noises".
So I guess this is proof of a second LIE!
And still Christy Palmer, the "independent investigator" doesn't think twice about accepting the word of the cops over the VICTIMS in spite of proof.
I have been following this Hope Steffey case for a LONG time. I have talked to a LOT of people and have gotten some info, some of which I had to wait for 6 months to get.
Heres just a bit:
This is the BCI report that Agent Christy S. Palmer sent to John D. Ferrero, Prosecuting Attorney Stark County Ohio.
Dated April 16, 2008 BCI Case #: SI-76-08-14-0147
This is part of page 3
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/?action=view¤t=BCI-Report.jpg
Sheriff Swanson has ALWAYS maintained that Steffey was ASKED & REFUSED to remove her cloths.
But here's the BCI's OWN REPORT that PROVES this is a LIE!
And then they try to explain away their first lie with another lie, about why it was done this way without asking Steffey to do it voluntarily.
But apparently catching the sheriff's dept in a lie isn't a big deal to our "independent" BCI investigator, Christy Palmer, who seems ready to accept ANY excuse the sheriff's dept wants to use.
The report also goes on to s
Chilling article, Donna. What were those cops thinking?!
Good reporting Donna! Thanks.
This is really awful. It happens way too often too, of course one time is too many. Great reporting.
All I can say is "Thank god for video cameras." It's technology like this that helps us keep tabs on police officers that abuse their authority.
Great reporting.
It's so hard to watch that video of the man being dumped from his wheelchair. A close friend of mine is confined to a wheelchair - I just couldn't believe what I saw on that tape. Thanks for reminding us all of how careful we must be about our society's "protectors" - those who can exercise power over us & how that can be abused.