FL - Police Accused of Brutality After Violent Arrest

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http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/...Brutality-After-Violent-Arrest-223357971.html

In the video it shows Tallahassee Police forcefully slamming West into the trunk of the police cruiser and eventually on the ground. Her attorney, Fred Conrad says his is doing what he needs to make sure justice is served.
Click to expand...

Short article.....

Offense occurred on 8/10 and this is just coming out. No indication she resisted arrest. She had to have surgery to repair a bone in her face.

picture.php
 
Grand Jury to Review Excessive Force Claim [WATCH RAW DASHCAM VIDEO]

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/223161391.html

...........West's attorney said he wants the city to "do the right thing."

"In the event that the city does not resolve this case or doesn't want to resolve this case and I hope they do," Fred Conrad said, "we are prepared to litigate and to fight."

Conrad says the city by law now has six months to respond or he will file suit.

A Leon County grand jury also voted this afternoon to review the arrest at its next meeting on October 14th.

State Attorney Willie Meggs says the grand jury will hear from witnesses and review the videotape then. "I don't know where it will go," Meggs said. There are a range of possibilities anytime a grand jury meets. he said. "I'm not going to speculate on what 20 people may do," Meggs said.

Among the options available to the grand jury? It could result in no action, a no true bill, a presentment or an indictment.

Tallahassee's interim police chief Tom Coe said that is certainly within the state attorney's parameters to take the case to the grand jury, "but based on my review and law enforcement experience," he said "I do not see any criminal actions by the officers involved."

Earlier in the day, Coe said he is changing the department's policy for arrests that result in injury.

"Anytime there's a serious injury, and there's a video tape, for example, from the patrol car videos, we'll pull that video and look at that tape too, to make sure the written report corresponds with the video tape," Coe said.

Coe - who headed up TPD from 1994 to 1997 - took over as interim chief when Dennis Jones abruptly retired last week. That retirement came just days after the videotape of West's DUI arrest went viral.........

There are several articles on case at this link. So nobody in LE thinks the officers did anything wrong but the officers are on admin leave, the chief suddenly retired, procedures were changed and the grand jury decided to investigate? OK...
 
Watching the snippet of the video, it certainly appears that the police used excessive physical force on this tiny woman. She might have had a few drinks, but I don't think it warrants being slammed against the trunk of a car, and then shoved onto the ground like an animal.

I would like to see the rest of the video -- if there's more to see the entire context of the situation before making a definitive judgment but at first glance, based on the snippet, the officers were in the wrong and need to be penalized and re-trained for sensitivity and professional handling of citizens.
 
Personally, JMO, a lot of bullies like to be police officers. I've known several that were proud of beating up people. Its a shame because there a lot of good officers.
 
bourne said:
Watching the snippet of the video, it certainly appears that the police used excessive physical force on this tiny woman. She might have had a few drinks, but I don't think it warrants being slammed against the trunk of a car, and then shoved onto the ground like an animal.

I would like to see the rest of the video -- if there's more to see the entire context of the situation before making a definitive judgment but at first glance, based on the snippet, the officers were in the wrong and need to be penalized and re-trained for sensitivity and professional handling of citizens.
Click to expand...

I think those officers need to go to prison for assault. There is no reason to use excessive force and it should be just as much a crime as any other
 
Reader said:
Grand Jury to Review Excessive Force Claim [WATCH RAW DASHCAM VIDEO]

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/223161391.html

...........West's attorney said he wants the city to "do the right thing."

"In the event that the city does not resolve this case or doesn't want to resolve this case and I hope they do," Fred Conrad said, "we are prepared to litigate and to fight."

Conrad says the city by law now has six months to respond or he will file suit.

A Leon County grand jury also voted this afternoon to review the arrest at its next meeting on October 14th.

State Attorney Willie Meggs says the grand jury will hear from witnesses and review the videotape then. "I don't know where it will go," Meggs said. There are a range of possibilities anytime a grand jury meets. he said. "I'm not going to speculate on what 20 people may do," Meggs said.

Among the options available to the grand jury? It could result in no action, a no true bill, a presentment or an indictment.

Tallahassee's interim police chief Tom Coe said that is certainly within the state attorney's parameters to take the case to the grand jury, "but based on my review and law enforcement experience," he said "I do not see any criminal actions by the officers involved."

Earlier in the day, Coe said he is changing the department's policy for arrests that result in injury.

"Anytime there's a serious injury, and there's a video tape, for example, from the patrol car videos, we'll pull that video and look at that tape too, to make sure the written report corresponds with the video tape," Coe said.

Coe - who headed up TPD from 1994 to 1997 - took over as interim chief when Dennis Jones abruptly retired last week. That retirement came just days after the videotape of West's DUI arrest went viral.........

There are several articles on case at this link. So nobody in LE thinks the officers did anything wrong but the officers are on admin leave, the chief suddenly retired, procedures were changed and the grand jury decided to investigate? OK...
Click to expand...

How is it possible that Coe can say he saw nothing wrong!? If his "vision" is so bad he needs to be replaced!
 
bourne said:
Watching the snippet of the video, it certainly appears that the police used excessive physical force on this tiny woman. She might have had a few drinks, but I don't think it warrants being slammed against the trunk of a car, and then shoved onto the ground like an animal.

I would like to see the rest of the video -- if there's more to see the entire context of the situation before making a definitive judgment but at first glance, based on the snippet, the officers were in the wrong and need to be penalized and re-trained for sensitivity and professional handling of citizens.
Click to expand...

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/223161391.html

This site has the full video, over 141/2 min. long. Below the news video, Click on 'RAW VIDEO: Dash cam captures arrest 9/10/13.' There is no sound. I don't see anytime that she 'resisted arrest'. While they have her on the ground it also seemed to me they were pulling up her skirt.
 
Reader said:
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/223161391.html

This site has the full video, over 141/2 min. long. Below the news video, Click on 'RAW VIDEO: Dash cam captures arrest 9/10/13.' There is no sound. I don't see anytime that she 'resisted arrest'. While they have her on the ground it also seemed to me they were pulling up her skirt.
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing out the raw video. Just saw it. Wow. Definitely there was absolutely no reason whatsoever the cops needed to use physical violence on the tiny woman. She was not resisting. And they already arrested, handcuffed her, and put her in the car. What's with suddenly making her come out of the police car? What was that for? It was like the cops were just looking for something to aggress and use brute force against her. She seemed to have perhaps given them a little lip when they pulled her out of the police car. But that was it. What happened to "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"? The cops are clearly in the wrong and should be punished to the max. They're supposed to be UPHOLDING law and order, not behaving like bullies and creating and causing havoc and physical harm upon the citizens. SHAME ON THESE COPS. I notice they're all men too. Big "tough" male cops against a tiny petite little woman. SMH
 
bourne said:
Thanks for pointing out the raw video. Just saw it. Wow. Definitely there was absolutely no reason whatsoever the cops needed to use physical violence on the tiny woman. She was not resisting. And they already arrested, handcuffed her, and put her in the car. What's with suddenly making her come out of the police car? What was that for? It was like the cops were just looking for something to aggress and use brute force against her. She seemed to have perhaps given them a little lip when they pulled her out of the police car. But that was it. What happened to "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"? The cops are clearly in the wrong and should be punished to the max. They're supposed to be UPHOLDING law and order, not behaving like bullies and creating and causing havoc and physical harm upon the citizens. SHAME ON THESE COPS. I notice they're all men too. Big "tough" male cops against a tiny petite little woman. SMH
Click to expand...

YW, bourne. I remember one of these articles said they pulled her out of the car because she slipped out of the cuffs. Now as small as she is I can see that happening without her doing anything. This video convinced me too, there was definitely no need for how they reacted and in the video with sound, her screams are pitiful, she was really being hurt. I hope these 'tough guys' pay with their jobs, at least, if not charges. (Tally is very LE supportive, as I usually am, so we'll see; lot of politics involved here.)
 
cops...... sad that violent bullies can become cops/
 
A use of force expert believes that Tallahassee police officers were justified in the way they subdued a woman during a drunk driving arrest last month.

Zoomed-in, slow motion video reveals West kicking at the officers. The F.P.B.A. says that this level of resistance justified the level of response that the officers took. It's officially known as a level 3, or physical respnose, but the F.P.B.A. said the officers would have been justified in using more.

You can view the videos at www.fpba.org. The case will be reviewed by a grand jury next month. Meanwhile, the Tallahassee Police Department's Internal Affairs division continues to review the case.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/P...g-More-Force-During-DUI-Arrest-225576982.html
 
fyi - that fpba link in post #11 doesn't work

she was driving drunk and kicked at the officers and people want her to be compensated for that?!

glad it's not my taxdollars paying for that

she's 44 years old - if she doesn't know not to kick at police officers and twist out of her handcuffs, there's no hope for her IMO
 
LadyL, it's you & me against the world! I am surprised at how many see this differently. The photo of her face is disturbing, but as an intoxicated driver, she may have done a lot more than bruises to anyone who just happened to be in her path that night. Who knows? Being stopped & arrested may have saved the lives of totally innocent people. I really appreciate cops getting impaired drivers off the streets. And if they are not cooperative, take 'em down.

I was pulled over for speeding. We had an adult to adult conversation.... state patrol captain to speeder. I answered the officer with "Yes Sir", he wrote me a ticket. Even if I had thought I was absolutely in the right, I cannot imagine kicking a lawman & resisting arrest. I would never do that. Sane, sober, reasonable, people in control of themselves would not.

The Police Benevolent Association is naturally pro- law enforcement, but they would have to truthful about what enhanced video revealed because this incident will eventually play out in the courts. The injuries may have been from when she ran her car into the house or the altercation with nurses at the ER. Time will tell.
 
Im in my 60's and am still scared to death of cops. I am aware that I probably project some attitude they don't like- I have been stopped for routine things such as a tail light issue and nearly every time I get held up while they run warrants on me. I had one follow me home from a traffic stop a few years ago and he sat in front of my home with his lights flashing for 20 minutes until I called 911 and asked them why he was still there- he pulled away immediately. I think he was on some power trip. I agree there are some good cops- I just wish I'd run into one sometime..
 
From reader's post #2 wctv.com link:
"Tallahassee's interim police chief Tom Coe ... said he is changing the department's policy for arrests that result in injury.

" 'Anytime there's a serious injury, and there's a video tape, for example, from the patrol car videos,
we'll pull that video and look at that tape too, to make sure the written report corresponds with the video tape,' Coe said." BBM S...BM
That sounds like an an improvement in policy.

I wonder why that was not being done before. I hope nobody would have said TPD has
waaaaaay too many serious injuries to suspects during arrests to take time to do that.

How many PD's and LE agencies do not have a policy of comparing vid's to written reports?
 
noZme said:
LadyL, it's you & me against the world! I am surprised at how many see this differently. The photo of her face is disturbing, but as an intoxicated driver, she may have done a lot more than bruises to anyone who just happened to be in her path that night. Who knows? Being stopped & arrested may have saved the lives of totally innocent people. I really appreciate cops getting impaired drivers off the streets. And if they are not cooperative, take 'em down.

.... The injuries may have been from when she ran her car into the house or the altercation with nurses at the ER. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

NoZme& LadyL
I'm not ready to fall off fence to your side yet, but could lean that way.

From vid, appears she kicked multiple times, then tried to body-lurch or lunge (terminology?) out of the grasp of the two officers. Looked to me like she 'led' in the way she went to the right (of screen, toward front of car) w. officers.

She did not look very sober on her toe-to-toe walk test
What about the other field sobriety tests? Any vid?
What did breathalyzer show?
What about dashcam vid of her driving before she was pulled over?

And, as noZme said, what about injuries after the fall, perhaps in patrol car (self-inflicted) or hosp ER?

There's more to this than a few sec's of the featured video.
ETA: watched the 14 min dashcam raw vid (no audio for me),
still seeing her as trying to get out of LE grips.

JM:twocents: and could be wrong.
 
i agree, this lady was wasted. I dont see how she even remembers what happened!
 
from wctv.com
Press Release: Tallahassee Police Department
City Releases Details on DUI / Use of Force Incident
At 2:10 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, Tallahassee Police Department patrol officers were called to the area of Delaney Drive and Kilkenny Way in northeast Tallahassee, regarding a vehicle crashing into a house at 3501 Kilkenny Drive. Responding officers located the driver - Ms. Christina West - who stated she was returning from Panama City, FL. While turning onto Limerick Drive from Delaney Drive, Ms. West appeared to have accelerated, missing the right turn at Kilkenny Drive. The vehicle continued straight striking a light pole, stop sign, and continued forward into the yard of 3501 Kilkenny Drive, finally striking the house. Ms. West had three students in her vehicle (all under the age of 18) at the time of the crash. Ms. West said the three were foreign exchange students.
The vehicle came to rest inside the master bedroom of the residence. The owners were not home at the time of the incident. A City of Tallahassee utility crew responded to secure live wires from the light pole. During the subsequent investigation of the crash, Ms. West failed a sobriety test and she reported she had been taking prescription medication while drinking alcoholic beverages prior to the accident. Ms. West was initially arrested without incident, but was removed from the car when it was discovered she had slipped her hands out of the handcuffs. At that time, she resisted arrest, and a struggle ensued in which Ms. West was restrained on the ground in order to facilitate the placement of handcuffs. Ms. West was taken to Leon County Jail where she was recommended for medical treatment. She was then transported to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) for medical clearance, which she received before being transported back to jail for processing. Ms. West sustained a broken orbital bone along with scrapes and bruises to her body.
At TMH, while being cared for by the hospital staff, Ms. West continued disruptive behavior that resulted in charges for assault being filed against her by the nurse on duty.
The officers completed a use of force report documenting the incident, per department policy."
BBM

What do we make of this?
-3 others in car,
-car hitting light pole, stop sign, and crashing into house and pushing bed to other side of room,
-her taking Rx and drinking
-failing sobriety test
none of that justifies LE excessive force (if it was excessive).

But her slipping out of handcuffs?
I saw, imo, her kicking LE, pulling away from LE, even on the ground still kicking LE.
Her actions = resisting arrest = justify LE using force to restrain her, imo.
LE officers are forced to decide and to act and react in nano-seconds.
They did not use batons, tazers, guns on her.
Others have the luxury of Monday morning quarterbacking, hours, days, and weeks later.

Her actions re ER nurse, presumably shortly post-arrest, are also telling.
If a person w. those injuries assaults a health care provider,
I can believe her earlier actions justified LE's use of force, short of batons, tazers, or guns or or deadly force.

JM:twocents: and I could be wrong.
 
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