Male Officers Who Strip Searched Woman Being Sued http://wm.wkyc.gannett.edgestreams.net/news/20080131_stripsearch1_wkyc.wmv I’m not a big believer in suing for anything and everything but I believe these cops step way over the line and since they can’t police themselves something needs to be done. I hope with all the publicity this get maybe the state will look into it.
I was all set to sneer at this and say it was another case of law enforcement officers being taken to task simply for doing their jobs... but after watching it, I'd have to agree. This is another tragic example of our law enforcement gone horribly out of control. The arrogance of power should sober us all.
Having been both an cop and and a correctional officer I am siding with the victim on this one. If the officer that responded saw visual signs of trauma, his first action should have been to ask the victim if she wished to go to the hospital for treatment. This would have given him time to further investigate what happened. Talked to the cousin and get a clearer understanding of what happened. Once at the jail, I can understand the correctional officers actions BUT, and this is huge, Male officers should have been outside of the cell as back up only. Our jail had a policy of strip to undergarments only unless the person had been convicted in court. Looks to me like some people are going to lose their jobs, pay a ton of money, and yet nothing will repair the damage done to the victim. Very sad and personally.... Disgusting!
Just to look at the flip side of this (and seeing as I'm the bleeding heart liberal here, i'm amazed it's me doing this) - But what if it's a case that the officers acted as they claimed: ie that they strip searched her because she refused to remove her own clothes? Also Narcsarge, you say males were kept "as back up", what sort of back up would that be? ie it seems from the video that there are two males and one female - could it be the males were needed to hold someone down whilst they were stripped searched in case they were dangerous? (meh. maybe i'm just trying to see the good in people and hoping the cops arent the digusting animals they appear to be in this)
The way it seams they did this as punishment because when asked if she considered suicide she asks now or ever. They then told her to strip, she asks why. That’s when they striped her. Then they took her to the booking office naked.
If the men had any morals they would not have done that. Had the women (officers) any compassion, they would not have allowed it to happen. Both are a disgrace to the badge and the job and I hope they do jail time for this.
Where I worked, we could escort women prisoners to the women's section and stand back during processing. Searches were done by women officers in a closed room. If we had a potentially violent inmate, I would wait outside of the room only to enter if things went South. If the woman refused to remove her clothes, she should have put in a cell and all processing stopped until such time as she complied. This would mean that she could not have been released until the paperwork was done. Her call. Forcing a strip search like that is stupid and unnecessary. I am sure there is a whole other side to this story as well Tartovski. Just that the video is so strong I doubt that Clark County will win this one. Settlement out of court and at least 4 firings.
i just imagine that happening to my wife and it makes me sucks the joy right out of me. i know for a fact the cop arriving on the scene should have responded a heck of a lot differently...
Well, I find myself a bit disgusted although not surprised. There are a few areas around here where the police are less than professional. She was a victim to begin with so in my eye's, there was no reason for her to even be there in the first place. (<---So long as the information is correct that is--->) The officers were out of line all the way around, from the arresting officer to the treatment received at the jail. That said, even if she had refused to remove her clothes, there was no need for the male guards nor was there a need for a stripping in that manner. To make things worse, (again, if what is said in the video is true), they made her go to booking nude except for a vest, and just to top it off, they never even bothered to tell her (until after the fact) why she was even there. (Oh, and lets not forget that they refused to give her medical treatment.) So far this situation is a bit ugly and until we hear contrary information, it's looking pretty dark for the cops. Disclaimer: Keep in mind, my opinion depends on her side being accurate concerning some points. One of my buddies works at a jail in Columbus, he said pretty much the same as you. Side note, I think it's Stark County, Ohio.
why'd they spoil it and blur it out.....lols on a serious note (joking ofc there guys!!!!) thats just wrong and they should get fired for that and if an order to do it came from higher up then that person needs to be put in their place too.
Man they were out of line in every way. They really screwed up in every way. None of them deserve to keep their badges. Props to the TV station for having some journalistic integrity.
If she was the victom of the first assult why was she taken in? Because she had her sisters ID on her shouldn't matter; after all her sister is dead and she did try to explain that to the officer. By now the boys in blue have closed ranks and are looking for anything that will shift the blame from them to her. They will dig up anything they can on her and her family just to but the spot light on them and away from the department. The worst of it is that no one will do anytime for what they did to her. Here's how it will probably play out: Everyone physically involved will be placed on Adminstrative Leave with pay; the Sheriff will take an early retirement with full benifits (saying that he was planning to do that before the incident; by the time it hits the court the city and Sheriff's Dept. will settle out of court and all the officers can't be sued personally in a civil suite. Once it has all been settled everyone can go back to work except the Sheriff because he is in Florida fishing and enjoying his early retirement!!! It will be a win win situation for everybody except for her and her family. Lets not forget the lawyers either since the majority of whatever the family gets will line their pockets, and whatever is left over will go to thearpist for all the trama caused!!!! Truth and Justice (the so called American Way) will be swep under the rug.
Wow, there aren't enough ways to violate the ToS of MAP for me to describe how angry that video made me.
Domino. Yes that was very bad. The people who are given the authority over us to abuse it in such a way is scary and wrong. The fact was she was powerless and she came to them in need of help. Only to get abused. Like a gang doing bad but given permission to do it by the law. They are supposed to help the people. Yohan I think elves should be in charge of the law.
