Posted on 02/02/2007 5:47:37 AM PST by ActionNewsBill
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- Two police officers were suspended indefinitely with pay Thursday as an investigation continued into their arrest of a pregnant woman who had a miscarriage a day after she was thrown in jail.
The suspensions came two days after police released a videotape showing Sofia Salva telling officers during her arrest last year that she was three months pregnant, bleeding and needed to go to a hospital.
The tape shows officers ignoring her pleas. After the ninth request, the tape shows, a female officer asked: "How is that my problem?" (Watch police arrest Salva Video)
The officers' behavior is "inconsistent with the values and policies of this department and inconsistent with the training they received in the police academy," Chief James Corwin said at a news conference Thursday.
Salva, 32, has sued officers Melody Spencer and Kevin Schnell and the police department for wrongful death and personal injuries. Salva is seeking actual damages exceeding $25,000 and punitive damages. She was arrested February 5 and held overnight on traffic violations and outstanding city warrants.
After being released the next morning, she delivered a premature baby boy who died immediately after birth, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court. Corwin said he felt the incident was serious enough to suspend the officers even though an internal investigation is not complete.
"I ask for patience from the community as we investigate this incident," Corwin said. "I regret that this incident has reflected negatively on the members of this department, the vast majority of whom do their job in an exemplary fashion every day." Corwin read from a written statement and declined further comment, citing the lawsuit.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
While the video does seem to indicate that a firing would be the proper course of action, (and I'm not a LEO cheerleader), I personally would rather see them finish their investigation first.
For this reason.
I think more heads need to roll on this incident than just the cops at the scene. As someone else mentioned in this thread, she was in lockup overnight and had to have her clothes changed several times. More than just the arresting officers need to swing on this one.
This poor lady needs a better attorney too. If I were the city I'd settle for the $25K she is seeking.
Yeah, I'd settle quickly. She could get ten times that in a heartbeat.
You'd have to prove that the child/fetus/tissue-blob wasn't already dead/miscarried/non-viable.
The woman said she was already bleeding when the cops were arresting her.
Not that I would expect that from a male officer, but it coming from a female makes my blood boil hotter. I'm not a fan of lawsuits, yet in this case I hope she OWNS the entire police department after this.
WOW........kill a kid, get a paid vacation...how do I get in on this gravy train?
ping
That was what Fox News stated when it ran the tape of the incident.
I've encountered some very good female police officers. In particular one who responded when I had a car break in. Competent. Professional. Smart. Beautiful. She said that police work was a family tradition.
At least if they had shot her, they would have brought her to a hospital before jail...
Actually, a live baby boy was born the next morning and died after one minute. He might have been saved had these jerks listened to her the night before.
Yes. Had the child survived, he or she would probably eventually request a driver license; thereby becoming a revenue source.
This is fiscal irresponsibility of the highest order (/sarcasm).
Guess what the medical treatment for a miscarriage in the first trimester is?
NOTHING.
There is no way to stop one.
That said she should have been evaluated. But "wrongful death is a long long long long stretch.
The only way to live reasonably free is to avoid all contact with the police. Period. Once a person is in their net for any reason, they are utterly at their mercy - and there's rarely any of that. They keep a person locked up overnight just for the fun of exercising their power. When the arrested person asks if the cops have called the wife, husband, Dad or Mom, they lie and say they called "but nobody picked up". I also am no fan of lawsuits, but until local governments and police departments suffer - and I mean suffer greatly - because of actions like this, there will be no change.
It is "in excess of $25,000." 25K is probably the jurisdictional amount for their trial courts, rather than the smaller claims-type courts.
Kozak, there is something called a threatened miscarriage. Bleeding, but the baby isn't dead. She might have had a weak cervix and a cerclage might have stopped the dilation. She might have had contractions, that medicine had a chance of stopping. She might have had a small placental abruption, that might have clotted and resolved with bedrest.
She was bleeding so much that sanitary napkins weren't enough, they had to bring her new pants several times. That woman needed to be in a hospital.
Mrs VS
I'm disgusted with the ignorance these officers displayed, and this is a case where a lawsuit is clearly called for.
sw
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