Posted on 08/01/2015 12:14:24 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Another jail encounter is making headlines in Texas.
This week, video was released from an incident that occurred in February at Jefferson County Jail. It shows a police officer punching an intoxicated, handcuffed woman after she spit in his face.
"I'm going to try to make sure that he has to pay for it," said Lisa Hayes, who was punched by the officer.
Hayes doesn't remember much from the night she was punched by an officer after she spit at him at the jail, but she recalls the injuries.
"Both my shoulders were torn. I had scars on my wrists, my feet, my hips," Hayes said.
Hayes was arrested for public intoxication.
According to a sheriff's office internal report, she spit at Beaumont police officers as they arrested her.
She appeared to be passed out at the jail, but when paramedics asked her to walk, she stood up and began cursing at officer Raymond Sellers, then spit on him. Then he's seen on the video punching her in response.
"I'm not gonna say I don't blame myself because who can't blame their self for being intoxicated and spitting at someone," said Hayes. "But I hold him more responsible because he should've been the one making sure I wasn't hurting me nor anybody else, not the one hurting me."
That same night a report shows an officer used a stun gun on Hayes after six officers tried to remove her clothes and place her in a suicide gown. That report says she wouldn't stop kicking them.
But Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham says his office can't do much without a law enforcement investigation.
"The district attorney's office does not take direct referrals," Wortham said. "We do not have sufficient investigators to take direct referrals to our office. They have to come from a law enforcement agency."
Lisa Hayes says she didn't file a complaint with the sheriff's office earlier because she hardly remembers anything from that night. "Up until this point I felt just disappointed of myself because I was under the impression I did all this to myself," said Hayes. But she's now seeking legal representation.
On Thursday, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that officials with the Texas Rangers have opened an investigation.
I’m guessing she may enjoy Elton John and Barbara Streisand albums and experience carpet burn regularly...
She’s white, the officer is black. She loses her case.
Isn’t the rule, “One spit; one hit”?
She was well within spitting distance of the cop. Maybe 18 to 24 inches.
She spit AT him, not on, HE ASSAULTED HER WHILE SHE WAS ALREADY IN HANDCUFFS.
...
But the handcuffs didn’t prevent her from spitting. Getting spit on is dangerous. The officer had a right to defend himself. The fact that she missed one time doesn’t mean she is going to miss the next time.
Shouldn’t have hit her. Should have pepper sprayed her in the face.
“Police are to serve and protect, to be discipline, show restraint, and respect even when not returned.”
Nope. They are there to protect the public, not a violent offender. I wish he’d punched her harder.
You going to defend the Notre Dame player who got worked over by the Jacksonville cops a few years ago? Because his coaches and the university sure didn’t.
Nothing Right About This: Boy Knocks Out Girl After She Spits In His Face (vid's title)
Notice the one teacher who did nothing to stop the girl from attacking him, but told him "you don't hit a girl" after he fought back. Equal protection lawsuit?
Taking things too personally.
I’m with you. I’m from a police family and I know what it takes to get it right.
Police who do this sort of thing are not trained well enough.
We have a lot of hotheads here that say they would punch her.
He should not have punched her. If you’re a well trained person you don’t have to react like that.
Back in the fifties when I was in grade school I used to see a fellow known as BJ who was a WWII vet and wore a patch on one eye. He didn’t lose that eye in the war, he lost it fighting with a peace officer. He gave the cops a really hard time and got hit on the head with a baton which, unfortunately, struck him in the eye. These days they would just shoot him. One of my classmates said BJ told him once, “I’ll bet I’ve been in a thousand fights and never won one.”
I think he must have been the original “Cool Hand Luke”.
This is why I can see why she took one in the chops. It’s stuff like this. Many of those people have diseases you wouldn’t want to get, and hopefully they get prosecuted not only for assault but deliberately infecting another person.
Well the only reason I don’t have a problem with it is because lots of these people are knowingly infected with serious diseases, and a spit in the face can be something far more dangerous than it actually is.
Eggs Ackley. Aids can be transmitted via saliva and in the eyes it has an easy pathway to the lacramose glands. The spitting should be an assault charge at minimum. ... Nothing worse than a belligerent female drunk.
Had scars?
Had scars?
Had scars?
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