Posted on 01/12/2005 8:32:28 PM PST by BBell
Doctor dies in Kenner Police custody
Dawn Ostrom
January 11, 2005, 10:23 PM CST
KENNER -- Kenner Police say an internal investigation is underway into the death of a doctor who was under arrest and an officer is on administrative duty pending the results of that investigation.
Police and witnesses say shortly before ten on Monday night, a teenager on a bicycle darted into traffic at West Esplanade and Williams and was struck by a car. Police say 52-year-old Jameela Yasmeen Arshad stopped her car at the same time a volunteer firefighter EMT stopped. Police say Arshad first screamed at the teenager that she almost hit him and then screamed that she was a physician. Kenner Police say Arshad pushed the EMT out of the way and that when officers arrived on the scene she was screaming and acting erratically and that she would not share her medical credentials with anyone.
Police say an officer tried to remove Arshad from the teenager and that she struck the officer. Captain Steve Caraway says an officer pulled her away from the scene, handcuffed her and put her in a police car. Caraway says minutes later, an officer noticed Arshad having an apparent seizure. He says the officer removed her from the car, took her handcuffs off and sent her in an ambulance to Kenner Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police are awaiting autopsy and toxicology test results to determine what caused her death. Caraway says the officers on the scene, the EMT, and witnesses say Arshad was behaving very strangely and was screaming.
Two men, who did not wish to be identified, told ABC26News they witnessed the entire accident and what followed. They say Arshad pushed no one and that a police officer was violent towards her for no apparent reason. They say the officer slammed Arshad to the ground. Police say they hope to hear from any witnesses who saw the accident and arrest.
The driver who hit the teen will not be cited. Police say the teen was at fault for darting into traffic.
http://abc26.trb.com/wgno-kennerpoliceabuseaccusations01122005,0,4734892.story?coll=wgno-home-1
Reserving judgment until said findings are released.
I should say read all 3 articles before posting replies.
There's a little info Here: http://abc26.trb.com/wgno-kennerupdate011205,0,4252570.story?coll=wgno-home-1
The two witnesses wouldn't be of the same ethnic background as the Dr. would they? I think that if there were witnesses to the accident, the police would not be making statements so contrary to the descriptions of the two "witnesses". Me thinks there is something very rotten in Denmark.
.
What country, state, county, etc. might that be in? Give us just a little hint, please, oh pretty please!
DWI: Driving While Islamic
Geez ... is it possible that doc was prescribing her own meds?
LOL!
Louisiana, not too far from New Orleans
http://abc26.trb.com/wgno-kennerupdate011205,0,4252570.story?coll=wgno-home-1
http://abc26.trb.com/wgno-kennerpoliceabuseaccusations01122005,0,4734892.story?coll=wgno-home-1
The coroner says the autopsy showed no signs of trauma or bruising, but did reveal severe heart disease.
...and the most compelling part:
Kenner Police say they have arrested Arshad three times before. They say in 1991 she was accused of beating a McKenzie's worker with a phone ripped out of the wall, in 1995 she was accused of threatening to kill a customer in a Kenner grocery store, and in 2000 she was accused of screaming vulgarities in another grocery store, throwing herself to the ground, and refusing to be arrested. She was not convicted on any of the charges.
Yikes! Her patients should all go out and get second opinions. She sounds a bit loco.
BB, this is very peculiar, given the similarity of the two stories...what the heck is going on down there?? (and I don't mean with the "cops"!)
Incorrect question. No county. The proper question would be "What country, state, parish, etc."
I see that you have already gotten the substantive answer - suburban New Orleans, LA.
Jefferson Parish La.
Louisiana, right out side of New Orleans.
Kenner, LA is where the New Orleans International airport is located. The police department there has an excellent reputation, or it did until a few months ago. There was a very, very messy mayoral race between a former police chief running for mayor and another candidate. I have lived near Kenner for 11 years and always thought it was extremely well run. Now I'm not so sure.
The doctor in the article worked at a pain clinic. I wonder if she was prescribing for herself.
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