Posted on 10/12/2013 3:46:18 PM PDT by servo1969
A woman is suing a police officer and the town of Skokie, Illinois, after she was seriously injured when a cop threw her into a jail cell face-first following a drunk driving arrest.
Cassandra Feuerstein, 47, claims in a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, that excessive force was used in the incident and that she needed reconstructive surgery to 'replace the bones that had been shattered' after being pushed into the cell on March 10.
The video of the incident clearly shows the 47-year-old being roughly shoved into the cell by an officer, who was later identified as Michael Hart.
The beginning of the prison video shows her complying with a female officer during the pat down and search and gives them her bra and shoes.
As she is shoved, she falls forward and strikes her face on the concrete bench. When she lands on the ground, a pool of blood spreads on the floor under her.
Another officer enters the cell and pulls her head onto his lap as he attempts to stop the bleeding.
A paramedic arrives soon after and she is taken to hospital in a stretcher.
Feuerstein claims the officer then filed a false report claiming she resisted police to explain his actions, according to CBS.
'Apparently I was not looking into the camera the way the officer wanted me to', she said at a press conference yesterday, referring to having her mugshot taken right before the incident.
Her lawyer Torreya Hamilton said: 'The video speaks for itself. She does nothing to justify what this male police officer does.
'If this was a tavern fight, which of course it wasn't, it'd be like she got sucker-punched.'
The 47-year-old was charged with resisting an officer as well as drunk driving.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
NYC has a style all its own.
People without guns and badges have bad days too. They sometimes push or punch someone on their bad days too. THEY GET ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH CRIMES, just like this guy should be too.
He gets one free face-smash on a defenseless woman.
It confirmed my experience with them. To complete the picture, he said that that the other half are made up of two groups: Those that truly do want to make a difference and have integrity and those that don’t even want to pull people over for obvious violations because it’s a lot of work and risk.
Before I moved to Kentucky, I got pulled over roughly 3 or four times a year and averaged a little less than one ticket a year (just below the threshold for “special treatment”). I met all kinds of cops in my personal life as well. What my friend said pretty much lined up with my personal experience. In all seriousness, with some of them, if I came into contact with them in the wrong situation, I’d shoot first and ask questions later, badge or not. Sometimes it’s mano a mano and a matter of survival against a wild animal. The reason is simple: A thug is a thug, badge or not, and your life may depend on responding accordingly.
Truth be told, the odds of the situation above actually happening to me is slim to none, since I always respond very well with cops (hence so few tickets regardless of the number of stops - and most of them are drastically reduced from the actual infraction), but I see all men, badge or not as, at the end of the day, flawed men, as am I.
Wow.
Hope someone drops this A-hole on his a couple dozen times.
“People without guns and badges have bad days too. They sometimes push or punch someone on their bad days too. THEY GET ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH CRIMES, just like this guy should be too.”
That’s if they get caught by those nasty cop guys.
He gets one free face-smash on a defenseless woman.
Well, he didn’t get away with it for long, and it’s not going to be so free anymore. This woman will end up a lot richer for it.
I am not the one excusing criminal activity by saying someone had a bad day, you are.
“I am not the one excusing criminal activity by saying someone had a bad day, you are.”
I never said there would be no consequences, toots. Put your specs on.
'And I would have gotten away with too, if it hadn't been for those meddling videos!'
Maybe the cop should control his ego. We have judges and juries. He is neither. He didn’t punish her for dui. He punished her because he was pissed. He’d do that to anyone. His lack of self control is a threat to all.
‘And I would have gotten away with too, if it hadn’t been for those meddling videos!’
Methinks you are one of those people I also referred to in my post:
“A rational person, without an axe to grind”
Note the second half of my comment above.
Actually, the video of her being thrown face-first into a concrete bench is.
I did not say your excusing with the pathetic bad day excuse precluded any consequences either. Of course your pathetic excusing indicates you do not see much of a consequence for that brutal assault.
I don’t understand what your point is.
Anyone have a copy of the police report, the use of force report, the internal affairs report? The written statements of the other officers, the video that is in the other sections of the jail? No? Then you haven’t a complete story.
I am trying to imagine some scenario where this semi-rag-doll-drunk, petite woman could *NOT* be adequately and properly controlled by this supposedly trained, sober, fit & capable LEO and I am drawing a blank. The Barney Fife bad-apple on the video appears fully physically capable.
Perhaps you can describe a scenario where Barney was losing all control of his prisoner and *HAD* to resort to the action recorded on the video? I'll save you the trouble -- there is *no* plausible, believable scenario. Barney should have maintained control (and I see no indication to the contrary -- he had control of both her arms behind her back when he shoved her). If he was losing control, there were two or more officers available to assist. Barney should have been immediately suspended, charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, booked into jail, afforded the same bail option as anyone else similarly charged and should be awaiting his day in court. That his peers/supervisors failed to do so speaks VOLUMES about that particular agency.
Just my opinion based on my personal integrity level and former experience. I'm sure opinions will vary...
Where is the nanny mayor when you need him ?
The thing that makes it difficult to tell who the "good" officers are, is that the police do not police their own. They don't prosecute abusive cops. If they did better at weeding out the bad from the good, we'd respect them more, and be less likely to think ill of them.
“Says the anonymous person on the internet.”
Good point. Cops are against freedom of speech and public
criticism too. Thanks.
“Says the anonymous person on the internet.”
Good point. Cops are against freedom of speech and public
criticism too. Thanks.
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