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This was horrible to watch. Whatever happened to 'serve and protect'?
Ever since Reagan, there has been an "us VS them" mentality between the gov'ts in this country and the people. 9-11 made that worse, and gave the cops the idea that they can treat us any way they want to. Meanwhile, they are hiring more cops who are incompetent, sadistic, and just plain out of control. This is just one more example of an out of control gov't taking out their sadism on citizens.
I hope the cops lose not only their case but their jobs as well, though that never happens, at least not around my neck of the woods. You can shoot someone and end up back on the streets in 30 days.
Welcome to the republican's America, a place where you can be fucked up more by the cops than by those you called them to protect you against. This is how they seem to like it, where ordinary citizens are the problem, not REAL criminals. Them they put into office.
That's at least a $5 million settlement. The FBI needs to step in and make some arrests because her civil rights were clearly violated.
What's wrong with this fucking country?
BUY GUNS, CITIZENS. BUY GUNS. LOTS OF THEM.
(DON'T FORGET THE BULLETS.)
What ever happened to "peace officers"? Now cops dress like special forces, and run around playing swat.
If these police officers misused the power and authority entrusted to them to brutalize or humiliate a citizen - THEY belong in jail and stripped of any possibility of future law enforcement employment.
Anybody in the chain of command in this incident should be fired on the spot along with the sick fucks who carried out this pig fest on the woman.
Child protection services should take custody of any children of these pigs to protect them from potential harm.
Sue that county into bankruptcy. Let the people who live there know why their taxes will have to be raised to pay for the legal fees and settlement claims. Maybe they can disband that sheriff's office and fire all of the employees. Most county sheriff departments are a needless redundancy anyway. The cities and townships all have enough police personnel already and they generally know the neighborhoods and type of people they serve so there's no reason to burden the taxpayers with more useless, sadistic cops. The way this girl was treated is inexcusable.
Yep its horrible. And all too common. And there isn't anything you can do about it if it happens to you. Thanks to all the "tort reform" idiots running around - she's probably not going to get anything. Especially since it involves government officials operating in "the line of duty." Even if they act like thugs - they'll get away with it. And no-one will be able to sue them (certainly not for damages). So the next time someone opens their mouth and spouts a line of garbage about "people getting rich off of lawsuits" think about cases like this one. Or any number of the vast majority of legitimate claims that won't be heard because of the ignorance of voters. Just remember that people who can't use the courts will often resort to "self-help." In other words "if they can't sue you, they'll just shoot you." Which is EXACTLY the situation that COURTS are meant to prevent.
Disgusting. Truly disgusting.
That sheriff and his minions (...and I'll bet there's quite a story there...) need to be stripped, put in stocks in the public square, and have reminders of body-cavity searches left dangling from their various cavities for all to see.
Well, at least Ms. Steffey wasn't Tasered to death, hmmm?
This is becoming somebody else's country. Not mine...
Welcome to the New American Police State.
R. I. P. AMERICA 1776 - 2000
There is something seriously wrong with cops in this country, not all of them, but something in police culture has gone seriously wrong. What I witnessed on that video is clearly sexual assault. Why are the superiors of these officers essentially defending them when they should be fired and charged criminally?
Let us hear the rest of the story.
You turned a blind eye toward Abu Ghraib.
You turned a blind eye toward Guantanamo.
Now torture has come home to Ohio.
When are you going to stand up and fight for human rights?
You turned a blind eye toward Abu Ghraib.
You turned a blind eye toward Guantanamo
Now torture has come home here to Ohio.
When are you going to stand up for human rights?
i think that a same sex rule for strip searching is pretty fundamental when it comes to these situations. It seems that possibly there was a miscomminucation between the field officers and the station staff as to what this person was there for. There can be no excuse though for disrobing her in full view of male officers. As well, there doesn't seem to be any evidence that she was a threat to herself or others.
Police need to recognize the fact that they must always tread carefully when it comes to the treatment of private citizens that are in their care. They are not supreme beings, though they may sometimes think so.
You should see the crazed FREEPER types defending the cops over on YouTube.
Right Wingnuts Gone Wild...
Our civil rights mean dick these days, and don't fool yourself into believing this is a republican result. Will you people ever realize that they are two sides of the same coin. You're still letting yourself be played a fool everytime you blame one faction or the other. P.S.-Serious harm should come to those "officers". We're just animals to these brainwashed goons.
Now a days, I do enjoy hearing about cops getting blown away--what goes around... The women, in uniform, in the video, the wives or girlfriends of the male cops in this video, and the male cops involved in this stripping should all be stripped in public and humiliated as was this woman. I don't care what she did, she didn't deserve this treatment. I hope you slimy cops assholes are proud of yourselves. And the lawsuit, when settled, should have a dollar amount paid by each of these uniformed assholes from their own pockets. The taxpayers of this county or its insurance company should not have to pay a dime. If it means seizing and liquidating every personal asset of these thugs and garnishment of wages for life to pay off the settlement, then I'm all for it. I would also like to see these cops do time in a Federal pen for violating this woman's civil rights.
"Never open the door for Deputy Dan", as they say. Didn't these people summon their own devastation when they asked the "police" to respond? As Dr. Fool might say, "What were they thinking?"
Another officer, another sex offender.
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A COP... FREE DRUGS, CONTRABAND AND A LICENSE TO STRIP... I WOULD BE CORRUPT AS HELL... I ACN SEE HOW MENTALITIES LIKE THAT COULD DEVELOP
Obviously the woman was suffering horribly. She was outraged and terrified beyond rational thought.
ANd that's the problem.
From the video, can't tell if the police blindly rolled over her earlier attempts to communicate and thus are, as the video and news story seem to indicate, thuggishly abusive.
But as the 'anonymous' poster above was saying, I want both sides of the story.
If you're a cop and someone gives you a fake ID, you've gotta check that out. If the explanation is 'dead sister, keep it for a momento, giving it to you = 'mistake" '--well, I wouldn't buy that.
At that point, that's when things get bad, as once they've got to take her in for further questioning, she's going to have to be held in a way where she can't do harm to herself--and I'm guessing she was pretty agitated by then, so if I'm a cop and a really upset, emotional woman says "You mean now, or ever?" when I ask about thoughts of self harm, I'm gonna want to be sure she doesn't have a belt or something to hang herself with.
I'm guessing that's what they were stripping her for.
I'm guessing she was terrified and feeling assualted and resisting that perceived assault with every bit of her ability.
So they had to have some extra help in stripping her and thus the guys being in the room.
I'm not at all sure the police are right OR that she is--but I'm also not sure the police were out of line: if you grant them a few procedurally sound premises for their actions, things make sense.
What I wish we had a better video record of is, how did she go from 'victim' to being in the back of the police car. I'm guessing it's the fake ID and her getting mad about it. I'm thinking the point where a cop's decision is crucial is in deciding to take her in at that point.
C'mon, Many of the cops are mental cases. I've met cops who collect photos of dead bodies and joke about how comical the bodies look. Strictly mental cases.
The cops have appropriated the Bush administration's doubletalk tactics -- it's not 'torture' because we say it's not torture, Cheney is not part of the Executive branch because we say he's not, facts and laws be damned.. And this is not a 'strip search' -- because we're the police, and we say so.
I hope that the FBI steps in soon and these bozos do some jail time for civil rights violations-- but that's not very likely.
amerika is a facist state just wait surburbia till the police start pulling over your children to take them back to the local sub station and do this shit too them sick f#ks, these fine human beings would be more suited in abu graib what do you think? it's over it's done time to hit the reset button because it's getting harder and harder to recognize the legitimacy of the justice department anymore because when they break the law they don't pay like the minorities pay they get pardons why do we have to sue our own government that is absurd it's like sueing the neighborhood f#kn b#llsh#t, ohio is a 1984 state you won't find me stepping one foot in that hell on earth that place will kill your soul. maybe I should send an email to anderson cooper don't snitch to those saddist sickos that may soon become a white mantra if you're not careful and if the middle class is wiped out see you later if law enforcement is broken then the whole thing is corrupt and rotten facist uncompassionate mthrf#krs
first, this woman called the police for help ... she was the victim
second, I agree these cops doing this are disgusting (even worse are the complacent female cops)... even more disgusting is the all the cops that will stand behind their "co-workers" and testify how they were doing their job and they did nothing wrong.
where do we go from here? ? ? ? ?
Looks almost like a rape to me. And the video needs to be a little more clearer.
Check out KLRU News site for their Feb 2nd followup story. It turns out the Sheriff's Dash CAM was mysteriously turned off during their initial encounter with the woman. It was only turned on once she was placed into the back seat - where it was clearly heard that someone was telling the woman it would be okay because 'she was the victim here'. Apparently there is additional footage that the police have not turned over because you can clearly see a woman police office holding the video camera while they were escorting the 'victim' into the jail cell where the strip search occurred. According to the husband - she was kicked in her knees to knock her to the floor to strip search her. Where is that video? The reporter read the police rules about strip searches and it clearly says "only same sex." The police chief is saying this wasn't a strip search...
So to those defending the police - STOP. They crossed the line and are now caught. May they receive the fullest and harshest penalties for their aggressive actions. Every single police officer involved should be fired immediately with loss of pensions, etc. I believe they should serve jail time as well.
That is SICK!!!-Many of the police,sheriff's etc have military
experience and those to that have been
in the Mid-East prob think nothing of this.
BUT I AGREE-sue that county into oblivion-same sex strip search ?? even breaking that law.
Police do strip search if they think
someone will hurt themselves-but what gave them that idea? ""FREEDOM IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE""
Fucking pigs...I hope someone in Stark County physically goes after each and every one of those cops....
I notice above that Anonymous #2 wants to hear the "rest of the story". And what would that be, Pig? Use your imagination, you coward, and supply us with an alternate explanation which would justify males in a cell during a strip search. We thought it was Osama bin Laden in drag? Get ready to pay up, Ohio.
Take away their cushy government handouts (salaries); that'll get their attention real quick.
The police are simply out of control with power. They work for a fascist administration, they see the rule of law means nothing, they feel they can get away with more. Apparently, so far, they CAN get away with more than should ever be possible.
Tasers, cops abusive towards citizens, correctional institutions reporting endless abuses by correctional officers.
This will not end until the rule of law is enforced on the enforcers, and on the government.
What is happening to America? I wonder what treatment one of the Bush daughters would have received if this had happened to them? America is going downhill—fast!
Outrages, just plain outrages. I cried to see the clip. This has become a police state. These people should be fired. The police departments across this country have become an arm the this administration and the military. Just look how they handle themselves at demonstrations. They march like the military. I am scared to death of the police. This reminds me of Germany when Hitler came to power because no one did anything. Wake up congress you need to hold this administration accountable for something.
This happens to blacks, now it happens to whites. It is sad either way:however, it does happen, not all police officers give a F%&%&%&k!
We have police that are being put in their jobs by private companies giving a yeah or nay over candidates.. I applied for a job, and took their laughable private company "emotional assessment" test.. that asked a lot of questions about if you thought "pot" was legal.. asked "have you ever lied, even a little white lie" then contrast it with "I feel it's ok to lie once in a while".. Without talking to an individual and keeping in mind that "ever" is a LONG time, you will get "honest" responses from people like me that put those two particular questions in conflict.. Basically, I've lied in the past.. when I was a kid.. told little white lies here and there, embellished a story or two.. But I don't, now after having lived so many years and been around the block several times, feel it's "ok" to lie.. not at all.. not even little white lies.. and I've pretty much been lie free for almost 15 years now. Did anyone talk to me and find out what that was about, based on my "yes" then "no" responses? ... nope..
They asked "do you fell this test is a waste of time".. duh.. because it was something like 75 or 100 questions centered on pot and lying. I've seen these kinds of tests when they come from reputable sources, and this particular test was a JOKE.. Being smart and educated, I called them on it.. but you KNOW some little twerp looking to make money from the local police got offended that some "lowly cop-wanna be" dared to call "his" test a "joke".. I failed that question, I'm sure (because I refuse to lie.. funny, huh?) .. And one other that I'm sure was a nail in my coffin.. "getting high on the weekend will have a negative impact on my job during the week".. answer? no.. why do I know that? because I know about pot, not the propaganda from the police/government, but from doctors and pot heads and personal experience (that, too, was from well over 15 years ago). All the "would you do it" type questions were answered "properly".. no.. and all the "would you let your friends get away with it" I answered "no".. "would you let co workers get away with it".. no.. Yet, that ONE answer is likely what set off bells and flags to the PRIVATE COMPANY that GRADED IT..
I failed on a "pass/fail" for that test, that the police department NEVER saw, nor were they allowed to get information on.. just "pass" or "fail".. I got "fail", so that was the end of it. No job for a decent person that feels his job is to protect the public and apprehend "bad guys" to be brought in to the court for their day in court.
Indeed, we've turned over the very qualification stipulations to private interests, and I'm sure without regard to their competence in the matter. This particular company didn't seem to have a very well done assessment, and it was part of the "day one" process. From what I know about most people, they'll pass.. because the test was laughable in the answers they 'wanted', all you had to do was be willing to lie on a few.
And if you think she might be a danger to herself, you bring in a doctor to asses her.. not a bunch of cops, including MEN who strip a WOMAN. Raped without penetration, indeed.. she had no idea what was going to happen to her, it was already clearly well beyond the pail for what normal people would think.. If you fear she might take her belt and hang herself, you call a doctor and have a cop stand at the edge of her cell and watch her. You don't strip her naked and leave her unattended in an empty cell for 6 hours. But, clearly, these cops aren't all that smart or caring, but can pass the entrance exams to be cops.
I hope someone finds those deputies on a dark night and teaches them a lesson.
It's really about time that a little back-road justice gets served on idiots like these. The system doesn't seem to care of do anything about it - I hope someone finds an opportunity to take matters into their own hands.
Maybe a naked deputy by the side of the road would be a good start.
These pigs need to be put away for a long time. Let the state prison general population deal with these psychopathic pieces of shit.
They are absolute traitors to their country and community. This rape under color of authority should carry the ultimate penalty.
Since 1980 there has a steady march to militarize the domestic policeing. When it was declared there is a war on drugs, it gave an excuse to arm and train police to meet the firepower of the enemy. The enemy just happens to be American citizens. As we found out, it was the CIA during Iran Contra that were facilitating the import of the drugs and dumping them in the US creating the perceived problem. No serious talk about doing anything about how those drugs get into the country, it was covered up.
What happened to those players in that gunrunning-drug smuggling-money laundering-death squad enabling-shock doctrine Milton Friedman capitalists? They are still there devising shock and awe to implement their wild west free market criminal chaos and then promoting the US police state.
There was some political resistance from the left initially, but as the law and order candidates kept getting elected, then 911 happened, the resistance has disappeared. We are now dominated and run by these thugs in our highest political offices. Don't be fooled, these people are only in it for the money, not the benifit of the citizens of the US. I absolutely believe this is a coordinated shock doctrine effort by many to have their political wet dream come together.
As far as the FBI goes, who do you think trained these officers? The FBI has been on the inside of every 'terrorist' plot facilitating and cajoling the players into the actions that will justify the curtailing of our liberty and creating a militarized police state.
The first WTC bombing was instigated by an FBI operative. The explosives were supplied by the FBI. The bomb was built by the operative, or 'agent provocateur'. When the agent provocateur wanted to build a dummy bomb, he was ordered by the FBI not to. The date of the bombing was known by the FBI, the FBI did nothing.
In 1990 a bomb blew up the founder of Earth First!, Judi Bari, in Oakland CA. She survived but was spectacularly smeared as a terrorist who was going to plant the bomb. No charges were ever filed, but the explosion & smear served it's political purpose.
She sued the FBI agents and Oakland police officers for violation of her 1st and 4th amendment rights. In the discovery her lawyers received discovery from the FBI which proved the FBI agents conspired with Oakland police officers to frame Judi Bari and her partner Darryl. They have audio tape of the agents discussing the effort to stop the environmentalists from legally protesting and create a 'Green Scare'. Plaintiff Judi Bari won 4.4 million dollars in 2002 after 12 years of the defendants stalling court cases.
A suit like this can not happen anymore post 911, as we see with the 911 survivor lawsuits... 'states secrets privalages' are now routinely used to get the cases thrown out of court. This means no discovery of evidence, so no accountability.
We have been living in a fascist country, as recognize by Eisenhower in his final days of office. The military-industrial-legislative complex and the revolving door corporate political incest is what run our country. The corporate capitalists own our politicians, who are rewarded with great paying jobs after government 'service' for servicing the corporations.
Pay attention to Sibel Edmonds, she has the info on our current gunrunning-drug smuggling-money laundering-death squad enabling-shock doctrine Milton Friedman capitalists in charge (many are the same old ones), and it isn't pretty.
I want to know WHY they arrested her in the first place. What in holy hell made a cop arrest a victim? Her attitude? Bullshit! She was the victim, and some cop decides he doesn't like her attitude? THAT ORIGINAL arresting cop needs some serious jail time, the sheriff needs firing, and the entire county needs to be bankrupted through law suits.
I was falsely arrested once, both cops lied and falsified the arrest report. The other cops knew it, the judge new it, and they were OK with it.
I was threatened with arrest another time by a cop because I took notice of him flipping someone the bird and I laughed about it and sked him to do it again so I could videotape it.
He grabbed me by the collar and threatened to arrest me. Only because his supervisor and the press were nearby did he release me and walk away.
Cops are given power over others and guns. Stands to reason that many of the people who become cops WANT to have power over others and guns. That means that its an inherent fact that there will be cops who are thugs and nuts.
Police are not your friends.
I would not be surprised if that "rest of the story" is even worse than what we see here.
Schneb | Homepage | 02.03.08 - 7:49 am--You're kidding in that post, right? Take the license until true identity is established, but release it later. This police action went way beyond rational on the part of the police. WAY BEYOND! They need to go down for it, big time! I'm talking money penalty and jail time. The big honcho needs to resign, but first do some jail time as well!
The police state is under way. Welcome to Bush World, ladies and gentlemen! Facism has come to our shores. Resistance is futile.
This is the new and improved, post 9/11 America and the police cannot be reprimanded for anything - if we hold the police accountable, the terrorists win and we can't have the terrorists win, can we?
Deal with it, suckers.
Screw the police. They are abusive. They appear to have lied, until they realized there was a tape.
More testilying plans? This is outrageous. Police appear to be just as abusive toward US citizEns as against the Iraqis.
How many of these officers were in Iraq or Guantanamo and learned this method of abuse? This is contemptable conduct, and brings discredit upon the state of Ohio.
This is uttler shocking, barbaric, and wholly uncivilized. Go for the maximum punitive damages; and send these officers to jail so they can enjoy the same treatment.
Disgusting, shocked, appalled!
I hope this lady and her husband sue this police department ass off and then fire each person involved and the people they report to. Then I hope the same orderal they placed this woman through happens to their mom, sister, daughter, aunt, grandma, etc...
The link below is to Police discussion board. They seem to be under the impression that they are the victims...
http://forums.realpolice.net/sho...ad.php?
p=879238
Reminds me of a line that comes from Tom Paxton's song "What did you learn in school today?".
I learned that policemen are my friends
I learned that justice never ends
I learned that murderers die for their crimes
even if we make a mistake sometimes.
I had a situation in Youngstown, OH. I was stopped for speeding. The state trooper had me get out of the car and walk a straight line. He then tried to coerce me into saying that I was drunk. He said that things would go a lot easier foe me if I cooperated. A breath test indicated that I wasn't drinking. I was then taken to headquarters and charged with driving while impaired. I had to take a urine test. Even though I wasn't convicted of anything the cop took away my licence. At the court hearing, I was told that the driving while impaired charge would be dropped. I got no apology from either the cop or the judge.
If these things were to happen in Cuba or Iran the American public would be up in arms. But it happens here and Americans shout "Law and order".
What is inherently terrifying is how deep and at the same time how casual this attitude is. It's minor in comparison to this incident, but an example from my wife and I in liberal Ann Arbor is exemplary:
While down town one summer evening we saw a police officer apprehend a homeless person who was drinking out of a pint bottle of whiskey - the type with the metal cap which breaks as you open it for the first time.
So far, no problem. The officer emptied the rest of the bottle into the gutter. Then came the problem:
He opened the closed grocery bag on th ground by the homeless person and pulled out another, unopened, bottle. My wife and I were within 5 feet. The officer twisted open the cap and emptied that bottle into the gutter as well.
We heard the cap seal break and watched from very close by. In our minds, that officer committed theft of the homeless person's property.
We got his name and badge number and filed a complaint. After several weeks of investigation, during which no one spoke with us, we were informed that it had been found that the officer did no such thing.
"Deal with it, suckers.
Abby | Homepage | 02.03.08 - 2:35 pm'
No. It's time to openly, lawfully, nonviolently challenge this abuse and expansive abuse of power. This incident needs to be the catalyst that wakes people up to the fascism in this country. There is something that can be done.
The JTTF- law enforcement, despite knowing they were filmed, did this. That's outrageous. The fact that they were getting filmed, and that didn't deter them, suggests this occurs more often when there are no cameras around.
Time to look at 42 USC 1983, and talk to this with your attorneys.
Let's openly discuss some independent monitoring of the police: The videos they have in their squad cars appear to be be ineffective in deterring them.
Let's discuss real-time download/video capture outside the Executive/law enforcement, with backup tapes in the legislature and judicial branches.
If the cops know that the legislature -- at any time -- can look at their video feed, they might think twice about violating the law.
The problem in having a DoJ AG saying "We cannot rule out torture," doesn't send the right message to JTTF/law enforcement.
Time to use the 42 USC 1983 claim to have an expansive discovery:
- Who else has been treated like this by this police department/sheriff's department
- What are the training policies at the Ohio Police Office Standards and Training
- Who was the FTO, Field Training Office assigned to these officers
- When did they last go through recertification
- What types of interrogation training did they get through the national crime schools or at the FBI Academy at Quantico
- Who is their insurance company
- What are their policy limits
- When was the last time that insurance company did a risk analysis of this sheriff's department
- What types of video training on interrogations have the officer's received
- Which officers were assigned to any combat interrogation units in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo; and when did they attend interrogation training with CIFA or the CIA or the Ft Huachuka contractors
- Where are previously assigned sheriffs/officers now working as private contractors -- and where are those officers' reports of misconduct with those private companies
- Is Blackwter planning to hire any of the officers involved to impose justice on the Iraqis
Time for the public to around the country closely look at the 42 USC 1983 statute: This statute gives you, as a citizen, the status as an Attorney General: YOu can lead an investigation, gather evidence, and bring the evidence to the court for possible criminal prosecutions.
If we get enough of these claims, we can go to the Federal Courts, and have the DoJ AG challenged on his "we're not sure if we're going to enforce torture statutes."
Time for the AG to get called before Congress, shown this video and asked again: DO you or do you not plan to enforce the torture statutes against these offices allegedly filmed torturing this lady on film?
Ask the AG. Maybe we can get more videos, and repeatedly show them to him: "How about this? What about this? This one? Have you seen enough? ARe you going to investigate or do you want to see more videos?"
Use the 42 USC 1983 process to gather evidence, act as your own attorney general, and let's publicly force the DOJ AG to comment on this alleged torture. Time for the public to do what the COngress refuses to do: Confront this AG lawfully with evidence of torture by US government/state officials.
Spread the word: 42 USC 1983 is one option to challenge this recklessness.
Totally inexcusable. Time to start having psychological tests for prospective police to rule out the sadists, psychotics, etc. Then test them annually to be sure they remain emotionally healthy. All involved should be immediately fired.
Never, thats it, never will I trust a fucking cop again. THIS IS FUCKING SHIT!
Another thing that really disturbs me about this video is the podblanc logo on it.
Its a white power group.
What's weird is that nobody thought to take an injured woman to a hospital. I wonder how often this treatment has been dealt to others.
I live near Stark County OH and this story is reverberating throughout the entire region.
I guess we can't call 911 in Stark County without being afraid this will happen to us???
The sheriff sure seems to be battening down the hatches of his department, and fast.
This story's not going away any time soon.
Its kinda disturbing that the logo on that video is podblanc. Thats a white power group.
This is what a police country looks like. It's time to call Ohio senators and our own senators.
Now is the time while we are trying to create change in this country!!
people are so quick to judge. the news story is cut in a way that seems to sensationalize it. the fact is she probably started this spiral with her fake id as said. she probably went from crying to deeply insulted and outraged, and in the powerless situation lashed out at the cop instead of waiting for it to be resolved quitely at the station. the cops didn't seem to be enjoying the strip search. i'm sure in her mental state she just degenerated in custody until sshe tried to assault one of the officers and they had to resort to taking her down. frankly cops are still workers, and most people would rather sit and sip coffee and do paper work than have to strip search someone. don't be so quick to jump to conclusions.
Where was the the officer with some morality stopping this.
This is what you get when you recruit people who are just smart enough to follow orders but not smart enough to think for themselves, and disobey them, when they are clearly going beyond what is right.
There is a old 20/20 show were a man sued the police department because he took a iq test to get hired, but he was to smart so they did not hire him. Reason you ask?? Cause he could think for himself and not just follow orders blindly. They didnt want him to break rank.
I wonder if this was a one-time incident or is this routine treatment for Stark County? This case could just be the tip of the iceberg and only came out because there was video. This woman was the victim, why should she even have to show any type of ID at all? These cops are sick bastards.
I have a friend who was pulled over in Ohio. He was driving a friend's car so they took him to a barn in a remote location to search the car. The cops acted 'tough,' were verbally abusive and had dogs roaming around. Scared the crap out of him.
i did 3 tours of jury duty in maine, and watched town, city, county and state cops LIE after putting their hands on a bible...but ALL the cases i witnessed came out in favor of the victims...but not in ohio i see...
Every time a PIG dies the world becomes a better place.
Dead Pig = Good BBQ
Fucking cops are often worse than the people they arrest. They give them IQ test before they hire them to make sure none of them are too smart. They want big dumb assholes who like the power of the badge and the gun. It's all part of the big plan to have a domestic military force ready to round us up. Never cooperate with the cops. They view everyone as criminals.
Re. tort reform upthread. The so called tort reform would keep this unfortunate woman from any kind of settlement .Ralph Nader backed John Edwards because he would defend tort. As soon as Edwards dropped out , Nader was ready to make the plunge again.Unless..you need the courts now..it is hard to fathom just what fascism means.
Yee-Haw "seems to be ruttin' season for hogs" in Stark County, Ohio ! Well there is one truth you can hang your hat on, what goes around comes around, I hope we all get to see it!
apologies to Preston & Child but the quote just fit so well....
Oink oink.
Police state.
Fuck pigs.
-drl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B...h?
v=BPyKpcivQYQ This is why we need John Mccain watch this video and you will see who can help us. I promise it is a good eye opener.
Whay are all the cops bald now? Am I missing something here?
The sheriff says this wasn't a strip search.
If not, then it was sexual assault. Pure and simple. Six or seven officers need to see serious jail time. The entire force management hierarchy needs to be looking for a new way to earn a living.
Even if it was a strip search, by department rules, it was an illegal assault on a prisoner. There can be no extenuating circumstances; no excuses. Whether or not 'she started it' with the false ID is completely beside the point. The woman was completely immobilized by the handcuffs on wrists and ankles.
Pigs, pigs, pigs. Welcome to Amerika, 2008.
Horrifying? Yes. But it's yet one among so many other examples of the terrifying things that have been and are happening in our once-free country.
The "responsible" law-enforcement officers in this fiasco should not only be fired, but literally (and publicly) stripped of their insignia and their uniforms, humiliated just as they did Hope Steffey. Left to me, I'd also have them strip-searched and jailed naked, just as they needlessly did to her. Let these pigs learn for themselves how it feels. Again, left to me, I'd then force them to stand in the courthouse square, on national and worldwide television, to hear the public's ridicule and contempt. Let the individual officers' names be made known to the public; let them be forever forbidden ever to work again in law enforcement of in any other position of trust.
Don't forget monetary damages--in the billions, as much as possible out of the "responsible" officers' own pockets. If that means that they have to fork over everything they own or ever will own, their pensions included, to Ms. Steffey--well, they've got it coming. If Stark County or even the state of Ohio is strapped financially, too bad. Only when we as a society make the price to out-of-control law-enforcement officers and to government entities of violating individual rights so painfully steep that they will think twice before engaging in such violations will outrages like these begin to end.
If our own "public servants" in Ohio or America can't or, at least as likely, won't, do anything about this and similar outrages, it might be time for concerned Americans and the rest of the civilized world to invoke international authority--such as the United Nations and human-rights standards--to have the "responsible" officers and other officials who have violated fundamental human rights (yes, that includes George W. Bush and Dick Cheney) removed from office and tried and punished under international law, perhaps in a Nuremberg-style proceeding?
What will it take for this outrage to make the major national and world news media?
Every last one of us--and every thinking and decent American--should tell Stark County (Ohio) Sheriff Timothy A. Swanson what we think of his officers' actions in this case. You can contact him as set forth below:
Sheriff Timothy A. Swanson
Stark County Sheriff's Office
4500 Atlantic Blvd. NE
Canton, Ohio 44705-4374
(330) 430-3800
Scott Enk
senk8105@sbcglobal.net
first, I concur with all those who are shocked and horrified at this incident, and add my sincere hope that the steffeys' cause prevails, in both civil and criminal proceedings, against this sheriff's dep't and all the individual officers involved
second, in re the deceased sister's driver's license, carried as a memento: I carry my late dad's, right behind my own, in my wallet - I could easily pull both out together, and/or accidentally hand over the wrong one in a moment of confusion, shock, and distress
no automatic cause for suspicion on that score, IMO
To add insult to unjury...I learned about this from Rachel Maddow on her radio show:
January 23, 2008 11:00 AM Posted By News Questions & comments 0
Prison Officers Immune From Lawsuits Brought Under FTCA
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a circuit split and held 5-4 that an exception to the Federal Torts Claim Act that grants immunity to "any officer of customs or excise or any other law enforcement officer" applies to "all law enforcement officers." Thus, under the majority opinion in Ali v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, written by Justice Thomas, law enforcement officers who steal prisoners' personal property while engaged in their official duties are immune from lawsuits brought by prison inmates.
There is now no officer who holds any right of law. Any abrogation of my rights removes your right to live. remember that before you act. be sure I will.
Those pigs should be tried and get the death penalty. They try to say they need the male officers in there because she was over powering the female. My first thought was what happen to the god damn tazer they are so fond of? Second, why the frick is a victim being handcuffed? Third, why was she stripsearched. She was not under a rest and not subject to stripsearch. Finally, why in god damn hell was she left in the cell wtihout clothing? These pigs and their entire family should get the electric chair or lethal injection. With such scum, we don't need the police!!!
that has got to be the most classic case of ABUSE OF AUTHORITY, what the fuck! what just because they have a badge a gun and a peice of paper from the state of ohio certifying them as police officers does not give them the right to treat any human being that way. oh, well, we forcibly removed her clothes so she couldn't hurt herself or others.
that right there is the most bullshit statement of the year. i think the male deputies are still mentally pre-adolescent and just wanted to see her naked. oh and then the laughter coming from the jailers after they lock the cell door. to serve and protect, yeah right, to punish and humiliate fits better here.
I doubt raw has the guts to post this, but I have to at least try...
Now all you anti-gun fools understand why we won't let you disarm us. THIS is what the Second Amendment is REALLY about, for WE THE PEOPLE to have the means to undo the tyranny that ALL systems eventually attempt to place on the necks of the people. It's not about hunting, it's not about sports: IT IS ABOUT BLASTING ANYBODY WHO WOULD DARE TO DO THINGS LIKE THIS TO YOU AND/OR YOUR LOVED ONES!!! So many of you look to the feds to step in and do something about this... That is about as stupid as turning to the wolf to address what the fox has done...
-YOU- WILL HAVE TO GET YOUR FREEDOM BACK!!!! Give me just ONE example where Freedom came to the people WITHOUT violence... THERE ARE NO SUCH EXAMPLES IN HISTORY!!!!! No power structure WILLINGLY lets the people take or even take back their Individual Rights without a fight, why would they? For all you fools who ever said: "These modern times have NO need for armed citizens".. Remember your idiotic words when you hear the screams of your daughters, wives, and small sons being raped by the cops(screams similar to the ones in this tape) as you suffocate with a black bag tied over your head and your hands are cuffed behind you, knowing you are next when you here a BANG, then silence followed by the sadistic laughter of you beloved "cops".
The cops also have a very high ratio of homosexuality and many other little "quirks" that should make them unsuitable for real police work. But that dosen't happen. Most cops are rebotic thugs who love doing as they did to this woman. Take away their, and all other public employees, immunities and soon they will all be behind bars.
I see you Rawstory, by what you post and don't post of peoples comments you reveal ALL to clearly who your masters are. You will go extinct along with all the other dinosaurs of this dying empire. Good riddance to bad rubbish.....
Another upstanding Stark County sheriff's deputy, Bobby Cutts, is going on trial starting today for killing his pregnant girlfriend and dumping her body in a national forest near Cleveland. My niece went to school with Bobby Cutts and knew him well - she said he was quiet, really nice, smart - now he's an animal - wonder if his years in the sheriff's office made him that way - kinda looks that way to me.
YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Stark County Sheriff's Office (Canton, Ohio)
(330) 430-3800
_______________________________________________
I hope she sues them into bankruptcy!
In my county, Chippewa In Wisconsin, they had a cop who wanted to step on a bunch of babies heads, "to see what kind of noise it would make". He passed all of the cop required psyche tests. He also would frequently hold his service weopon under his chin and said that if he was to do this he would have his mouth full of water to make sure the top of his head was blown off. They got rid of him but paid him $15,000.00 and gave him insurance benefits and unemployment!!! The real kicker is that this is the normal for cops to be like this. If these "bad" cops were the minority they would be removed or outed by the majority "good cops". It is scary isn't it???
First, the citizen's means of self defense will be registered then confiscated, then the gestapo will appear. Don't believe it?
Never surrender your firearms. (don't register them either)
I think this story is indicative of what is going wrong in this country. Fear of terrorism, the patriot act is eroding our rights. We must put a stop to this. We have to start fighting for our rights. Even the fact that we torture gives these deputies the signal that it's all right to treat anyone anyway they want. There is a sickness in this country and we must start to eradicate it.
very simple question, to begin with:
what has she been arrested for?
The question I have is: this woman was supposedly assaulted by a second cousin BEFORE the cops showed up. Why wasn't the second cousin arrested?
Male officers do not strip (or help strip) a female suspect. And vice versa. And if they were so worried about her harming herself, why didn't they just handcuff and shackle her and keep an eye on her?
Seems to me even if she was being belligerent and abusive and striking out, an unarmed 125 lb. woman would not be that hard to subdue without ANY excessive force. (That's the size of a young teenage girl--I was 125 lbs. when I was twelve.) You do not need SEVEN officers--you should be in good enough shape to take her down by yourself or with another officer as backup without hurting her. Isn't that what you should be taught in the police academy? Also, how to calm a subject down so you can talk to them WITHOUT using force except as a last resort.
I am slightly amused at some of the above idiotic comments trying to affix blame on conservatives for this poor woman's ordeal. Take a look at what's going on in Denver right now, The Governor and the D.A. are about to go down in flames for selective prosecution. BTW, they are not Republicans. Oops!
Here are some names for the leftists to google.
James McDougal
Mary Mahoney
Vince Foster
Ron Brown
Victor Raiser II & Montgomery Raiser
Paul Tully
Ed Willey
Jerry Parks
James Bunch
James Wilson
Kathy Ferguson
Bill Shelton
Gandy Baugh
Florence Martin
Suzanne Coleman
Paula Grober
Danny Casolaro
Paul Wilcher
Jon Parnell Walker
Barbara Wise
Charles Meissner
Barry Seal
Johnny Lawhorn, Jr.
Stanley Huggins
The two factors all of the above names have in common is they were all connected to the Bill Clinton administration, and they are all dead. I don't think a "re-do" in '08 will make it any better.
Corruption knows no party lines, it is just corruption.
Authorities tend to treat people who were attacked as people who were "in a fight." Like they were responsible for the trouble.
This is especially true if you manage to injure your attacker. Suddenly, you the victim are you the rowdy fighter. You can easily become the one to blame for getting them out on a cold night and into a potentially dangerous situation -- and worse, have to put down the proverbial donut and do paperwork! 
When it gets to the judge, it can be worse. They treat dangerous attacks like some school yard scuffle.
So I guess the best way to respond to cases like this is to use Black Panther rhetoric?
Go ahead and buy all the guns you want, it would be funny to see another Waco-style standoff, and for what?
Bluejacket:
I'm writing because you do seem to sincerely believe what you are stating and it is related to this story.
Please give even ONE example in all of US history where a citizen or citizens successfully defended their self, their family,their property, or rights, from authorizes by use of a firearm.
You will, however, find thousands where threat of legal action worked or was used to find justice after (as with this case). You will also find cases where justice did not prevail. But you will find NONE where your ideal, worked.
I support anyone's right to defend themselves. But honestly, it works against, say a burglar, and it has NEVER NEVER NEVER been a strategy that has worked against any local, state, or federal agent. In fact it is a surefire way to die.
Hate to be blunt but even a moment's reflection reveals that what you suggest is both tactically and strategically senseless.
bluejacket:
Please don't clutter things with your Clinton conspiracy theories that have nothing to do with this story. That is being a Troll. Not polite.
Police suck
Allen, to answer your first question, 1776.
I hope you realize the position I stated is only a last resort, I encourage people to maintain their 2nd ammendment rights, along with all of the others (you know the Constitution and that stuff) Legal recourse is and should be the first 2nd and next to last resort. You should brush up on your history as to how Nazi Germany became a police state. The took away people's rights in the defense of the "homeland."
Hate to be blunt back, but I prefer to die in a hail of gun fire, than go with YOU do a death camp.
PS perhaps you can produce those dead people I mentioned and I will capitulate to your conspiracy accusation/denial.
BTW, I wasn't the first to bring politics into this, but you ignore that, do America a favor Allen, don't vote!
Who Watches The Watchmen?
these cops are fucking guilty. fuck that sherriff to hell. scum. sue for 100 million. fuckers.
The police are under no legal obligation to protect us, unless we are their prisoner.
30+ court cases have affirmed this.
Timothy Hicks has his thinking cap on today.
All this, while the "Opposition Party" in control of both houses the congress, approves giving Telecoms immunity for spying on US AND allowing the MORON Bush extensive witetapping powers without warrant.
Anything brewing in the Heartland yet? Like some Freakin' WAKE UP COFFEE????
Quit getting played against each other, sheesh America, grow some brains.
i was just wondering, in florida, does our "shoot first" law cover instances where we feel legitimately threatened by a crazed policeman? no? i didn't think so.
This is terrible. These cops need to be the ones in jail, not this poor lady.
IF YOU LOVE YOUR FREEDOM, ARM YOURSELVES NOW. BUY AS MUCH AMMO AS POSSIBLE. THE 2ND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR FOR FREEDOM WILL BE US VERSUS THE DRONE COPS. SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPENS DAILY ACROSS OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE NAZIS ARE ALLOWED TO WEAR BADGES. FIGHT BACK SHOW THEM WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUCCUMB TO THEIR BULLSHIT TOTALITARIAN MINDSET.
BTW, I AM YELLING!!!!!!!!!
Allen, Bluejacket,
I think you are both right. Perhaps an unorganized civil disobedience movement should take place. Choose your position.
Live in a smoke free state?
Smoke
run into a checkpoint?
Don't comply.
sick of the IRS?
Don't file
National ID?
Don't (re)register for a Drivers License, or apply for or carry a passport.
Designated free-speech zone?
Ignore it
There are more I'm sure.
Regardless of your current political pursuasions, one thing is for sure, Americans don't like being pushed around, wether it is from an external force, or our own government. We need to drop our differences now and take our government back before it is to late.
"The four boxes used to protect liberty:
Soap Box
Ballot Box
Jury Box
Ammo Box
Use in that order"
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/
Iberns,
I'll give you an "amen" on saying what I've implied.
People who have been shot at understand this clearly.
Wow, this reminds me of the guy that was shot in the head and killed by an off duty boarder patrol agent, who was intoxicated, 3 years ago simply because he didn't like the guy talking back to him. The police never arrested him on grounds that "there was no evidence of a crime" last I had heard. I hope she takes them for all they're worth and some. Time to strip some cops of their dignity and send them to their own prison.
I like the pig-headed bald hogs in there on the action. Clearly a savage violation of due process, and respect for human dignity. The US is headed in the wrong direction. I hope this country makes a u-turn soon - or we're going to go go down as one of the worst EVER...
Fuck the police!
For one thing, the white cops where I live in Georgia are the rednecks, the ones with no class and no hesitation to use the word "nigger," yet they are in charge of "protecting" black people.
As for the pig who wanted to fill his mouth with water to make sure his head was blown off or whatever, I say pour the fucker a glass, and hit "record."
Hey, is anybody still talking about this story now that it's clear the woman was incredibly drunk, resisting arrest, misrepresenting who she was, and generally belligerent?
Okay ever one claim down. Yes some cops are out there and have been out there for a long time. Have you forget the LAPD come on that was the 70's, Its not the GOP or the DEMS being in or out. Where was her husband why didn't he bail her out? What did she come in with how much did she have to drink? what happen to her is just wrong there no other way of saying it. But I like to take this time to say. Okay but this is a growen up. And she wasn't raped. How many little kids were raped last year and sreamed for help and no one came to help? What is wrong with the people of the USA that we let this go on. watch the vido than think what it must be like for a little kid beging for them to stop and we don't put the men that do this to death? why? Becaues they may not give them back they don't. I feel very sorry for this woman my heart breaks for her. But the kids in the USA that are mistreated and raped my heart bleeds for more. Please if this up set you than what if this was a nine year old girl beging for some one to help her and no one does? Shame on the cops for not going after the jerks that rape kids like they go after some woman that has harm no one. The jerk that raped the two boys and keep one of them for four years was not treated this way. Its the people of the USA not the goverment that is broken,
The worst thing is that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Women are regularly subjected to this unbelievable abuse at the hands of men in American police stations and prisons. Every year there is case after case. Either they get strip searched in full view of male guards, or they are forced to take showers in rooms that male guards have unrestricted access to – which they often take full advantage of to deliberately humiliate them -, or they are raped in jail or prison. When women are raped in prison and report it, the first thing they do is put them in solitary. They say its for there own protection, however they are sent there and subjected to the same things and denials of priveladges as women who are sent their for punishment. considering that they have been raped because of them, and have been subjected to far more punishment than they were ever supposed to be given, clearly unless they have commited murder or something like that it is only right that they have their sentences commuted, or at least slashed. It is the only fitting and meaningfull compensation when a woman has been raped because of them and thier policies and procedures. Clearly prison - where they will continue to live under the domination of male guards and continue to be at risk of forced nudity in the presence of men etc - is no place for a woman who is recovering from rape. Instead however what often happens is that they have false bad behaviour tickets issued against them by abusive mysoginistic guards as punishment/revenge, meaning they loose their parole and actually have their stay in prison extended when they have done nothing to deserve it and should be having it shortened. Do the research on the internet. There is a wealth of information and you will find Americas treatment of imprisoned or arrested women to be the most inhuman, mysoginistic, and sexually abusive in the ‘civilised’ world. There are places where what that woman was subjected to is actually a matter of routine – standard practice and a daily occurance for countless women. Women of America take note. If you think when you break the law and get arrested or imprisoned that you will at least be sent to a civilized and humane institution where your born right to privacy from men and to not be made vulnerable to rapists will be guaranteed – it wont. There is every possibility that you will be subjected to sexual human rights abuses on a regular basis by being stripped in front of men, and there is every possibility that you will receive visits from from male guards who will inform you that if you don’t submit to sexual abuse they might just have to fabricate bad behaviour tickets against you and loose you your parole – meaning youl spend even longer in jail for nothing.
There's nothing wrong with this.
1. Cop goes to scene. Family squabble. People drinking. Conflicting stories about who hit who first and why. Typical Jerry Springer + COPS crap. Best thing to do is arrest someone and end the argument. Otherwise, it's going to go on all night. Cop decides to arrest the one who gave him the wrong ID.
2. At jail, Sheriff has a responsibility to make sure no one sneaks drugs/weapons into jail. Sheriff also has a responsibility to protect inmates from their own self-destructive urges. She gave an unclear answer about that, so now it's time to search her.
3. Women commonly hide things in their vaginas, because of the mistaken belief that the police either won't or can't search there. Thus, this is going to be a strip search.
4. Female deputies available, but not enough to hold her down AND search her. The search can't wait, so male deputies join in the "holding down" part.
5. Hope screams like crazy. Big deal. Just because she's screaming doesn't mean the deputies are doing anything wrong.
6. Because she's acting nuts, deputies decide to film the search to protect themselves against the lawsuit.
7. Now, Hope is all pissed off that she got treated "like a criminal" instead of the middle-class white woman she is. (Apparently, special rules are supposed to apply to middle-class white women.)
8. Welcome to jail, Hope. It isn't a trendy weekend spa. It's a jail. Sober up, go home, and stop whining.
I wish they would release al lthe names of the thugs, oh I am sorry, officers names.
Those people should not be officers, and should be in jail.
Hey, I'd like to answer John from a couple of posts above. I don't think you have all the story straight.
1. Was the cousin who assaulted her there? I'm thinking not, since cousin #2 called 911 while Steffey was still there. So, I'm skeptical of just how much Jerry Springer/COPS drama there was (and I've seen plenty of it on the ride-alongs I've done with local police). Getting a straight story from the 2 women was probably difficult, but it's not clear to me why someone had to go to jail...especially on a Disorderly Conduct charge.
2. According to her, her answer to "Are you suicidal?" was "Ever or now?" Seems like a follow up question could and likely would have resolved that in favor of, "No, you're distraught and a pain in the ***, but you're not suicidal."
3. This wasn't a strip search, even the sherrif said so. And you are wrong about vaginal searches...most women are told to squat and cough, then bend over and spread their labia. That's it...a "visual body cavity search", no penetration. Of course, even that turns up contraband some times.
4. Nobody disputes that there were five female officers in the cell with her. I would think that would be enough force for pretty much anything they needed to do.
5. You're right about the screaming, but it's pretty obvious to me that she was agitated and terrified by the actions of the officers. Would it have been too much trouble to make one more attempt to calm her down? Would have saved several officers a bunch of trouble if it would have been successful.
6. Wrong. The decision to film the forced stripping (since it was NOT a search!) was made well before the act took place. There is jail security video showing all 7 officers marching down the hall with her (two of them holding her by her cuffed arms), and one was videotaping the parade even them. You can even see that the videocamera is turned on by looking at the image in the little monitor!
7. "Like a criminal" is inflammatory. I prefer "treated with far more force and far less dignity than the situation warranted".
8. Nobody wants to be in jail. Given that, people who are not convicted (yet!) of any crime who are in jail deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, at least as much as is possible given their in-jail behavior. I fail to see where being forcibly stripped while being restrained by two males, then held completely nude in a cell for 6 hours without even a blanket is justified, reasonable, or even called for.
Wow, where do I start? First off, let me start by saying I am one of the apparently few people who thinks that Hope Steffey is probably mostly in the wrong in this case and the police officers are mostly right. I say mostly because I do think there are a few MINOR points where the police messed up but all-in-all they basically did everything they should.
Let me state here in response to some of the other criticisms that have been aimed at the other few who have dared to support the police in this that I live in Indianapolis, IN, am a democrat and I am a sales professional. I am not, nor have I ever been a member of any law enforcement agency nor are any of my relatives, friends, etc. I do know one former police officer who works with me. Also, for those who would say I wouldn't feel this way if it was my wife/sister/mother/cousin etc. who had been treated this way, I disagree. I don't believe my mother/wife/sister etc would have been treated this way to begin with as I will now explain.
First off, I am 27 years old and I have NEVER been in a fight. Not in school, at a bar, nowhere and certainly not with a relative (ok, me and my brother used to fight as kids but that was really more just wrestling and most brothers do that sort of thing). I've been mad before but never felt the need to fight. I've even been provoked several times in my life but again, never fought anyone. On the other hand, I have known many people who HAVE been in fights in their lives and I can universally say that all of them either had attitude problems, were looking for trouble, hanging out with people causing trouble, etc. OR responded to others looking for trouble in such a way as to elevate the confrontation to a fight. The basic point being that if you don't want to fight it can almost always be avoided. If you look for a fight, well, you'll find one.
I stumbled across the news story of her on YouTube (where else right?) and my first impression of the story was that it appeared to be biased towards presenting Hope's side of things (or at least her husband's). It was a sensationalist story that appeared to be trying to exploit exactly the types of feelings that have been posted by most of you here. They seemed convinced that Hope was right and that's how they were going to present the story.
This brings me to my first point on Hope Steffey. If you watch the story then you will hear the 911 call where Hope's second cousin is talking to 911 and reports that his second cousin was attacked, has a cut on her nose, and a patch of hair on the ground. Now as stated above, I believe that if you talk to most people and/or look objectively at most fights, they can be avoided if desired and are inevitable if you're looking for them. I therefore believe that Hope was looking for a fight or responded to provocation from her attacker in such a way as to help escalate it to a fight. I admit this is a matter of speculation on my part but even if she was a truly "innocent victim" of an assault, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The only reason I bring it up is because my next point which is more evident seems to make this conclusion about Hope's tendency to find trouble ring true. Again, regardless of whether or not she was looking for a fight or could have avoided the fight, the point is she fought and the police were called.
Now here is Hope's first mistake and possibly one of the officer's mistakes as well. Hope hands the officer her dead sister's driver's license as her own ID. Whether mistakenly or on purpose doesn't really matter. The cop realizes that the driver's license isn't hers, she begs for it back and of course he won't give it to her. This is exactly what he should have done. Whether or not she was trying to use the ID as a false ID or it was a personal memento doesn't matter. From the officer's point of view it is a false ID and should be confiscated. Hope's first real mistake (or maybe second if you believe she should/could have avoided the fight to begin with) is that she now begins to beg and plead for the driver's license back and you can imagine that since it was her dead sister's license and a personal memento, she was probably distraught and acting irrationally. She should have simply accepted that the license was confiscated and tried to obtain the license back at a later time through official means. Instead I'm sure she became belligerent and started giving the officer trouble. This got her arrested. The sheriff stated that she started the altercation with the officer so he arrested her. When you consider my first point about fights/trouble then you'll see that this fits.
Now this is where the police officer potentially did something wrong but there's no way of knowing. In the process of arresting her he allegedly slammed her into the squad car and then onto the ground cracking her tooth in the process. I find it extremely hard to believe that he did these things simply because she kept asking for the license back. I'm sure she did more to provoke this response. On the other hand, even if she did provoke the response, forcing the officer to slam her into the car and ground, he might have used more force than absolutely necessary simply because he could and/or because he was mad/irritated.
I do know from my co-worker that was a former cop that the police are not shy about hitting a criminal's head against the door sill as they put them in the cruiser just because they didn't like that particular guy, he'd given them trouble, etc. So, maybe the cop was doing another form of this and went too far and cracked her tooth. Maybe he was legitimately trying to subdue her and she unfortunately got hurt, or maybe the cracked tooth happened at a different time (maybe during the fight earlier, I mean apparently she was knocked unconscious, cut her nose, and had a large chunk of hair ripped out. Sounds like a serious brawl and not unlikely that she could have cracked her tooth during that fight). Anyway, this is a potential misstep for the officer but nothing definite so at this point you have one definite mistake on the part of Hope possibly two if you count her fighting to begin with and one possible misstep for the cops.
Now at this point if you have ever seen an episode of COPS before, it's not too hard to imagine this girl getting more and more out of hand after the officer took the sister's license, beginning to give him trouble, not responding to questions/commands, and being a general pain. Leading to her arrest and you can imagine her getting even more indignant as she still sees herself as a victim totally in the right and now being arrested. Instead of backing off, calming down and getting herself out of trouble, I think she decided to be the biggest pain in the butt she could. This would fit in with my starting premise that she is the type of person that is always looking for trouble and/or trouble always seems to find her. We've all known those people and this appears to be a classic case.
So again this is all semi-speculative but I figure she keeps giving the cops a hard time every chance she gets. Then at the jail they’re asking her the standard booking questions and she responds in smart alec tones, sarcastic responses, etc. feeling indignant and fully justified in abusing the police and only making matters worse for herself. This is her second/third mistake.
At this point the police make their first clear mistake. It's an understandable reaction but still something they shouldn't have done. At this point they ask her if she's ever thought of harming herself. She replies (perhaps innocently and a point of clarification but I think more likely as still being uncooperative) "Now or ever?" At this point the police mistake is that I think they had had enough of her attitude and decided to put her on suicide watch and therefore require her to strip so that she couldn't hang herself with her own clothing. Again, it's hard to say if they did this as punishment, as a real precaution in case she was serious, or more likely, a little of both. Regardless they tell her to strip and she now makes her third/fourth mistake and refuses to strip. On the flip side, if they don't treat every prisoner who makes statements which might indicate that they would hurt themselves as serious suicide threats then they could also end up in big trouble. If they had a prisoner indicate they might kill themselves and they didn't strip them and put that prisoner on suicide watch and they then killed themselves then they would have a lawsuit on their hands from the suicide victim's family saying that the police dept. was negligent in not preventing the suicide.
Anyway, you never refuse an order given to you by a police officer. She could have requested that the male officers leave and then she would strip but instead she just refuses to strip. Again, she could have stripped with the male officers present and then files a complaint/lawsuit later but instead she fought them. (Of course Hope says she was never asked to strip but the police say they did ask and I'm more inclined to believe them at this point). So they now act exactly as they should have and forcefully strip her because she refused. She then fights them which is why they had several officers holding her down and stripping her.
If you listen to the officers at this point they are saying nothing inappropriate and are doing nothing inappropriate. It isn't a sexual thing and they're not making a point of humiliating her, they're not saying this is what you get, how do you like this, etc. Instead the male officer is saying "just relax, you're ok, relax, stop" meanwhile she is becoming more and more agitated (understandably but still you can't expect the officers to respond in any other way but to have more officers restrain her while she is stripped). At this point she is an uncoopera
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