Posted on 09/30/2007 4:49:59 PM PDT by Roberts
NEW YORK (AP) - A traveler who may have accidentally choked herself to death while handcuffed in an airport holding cell was a "wonderful" woman and mother, according to New York City's public advocate, who is her relative.
Carol Anne Gotbaum, 45, was arrested Friday at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix after she became irate when gate crews refused to let her board a flight for which she was late, officials said.
"She was a wonderful mother; she was sweet and kind and loving," said public advocate Betsy Gotbaum, the woman's stepmother-in-law. "It's obviously very, very difficult for us; we are dealing with it as best we can. My No. 1 focus is those children and my stepson."
She also pleaded with the press for privacy.
The events that led to Gotbaum's death began when she became irate over not being allowed on a US Airways flight, though she was rebooked on a later flight, officials said.
Officers handcuffed her and took her to the holding room, where she kept screaming, authorities said. They checked on her when she became quiet and found her unresponsive, said Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill.
It appears Gotbaum may have tried to get out of her handcuffs, which ended up around her neck, Hill said. A medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Neither a stun gun nor pepper spray was used on the woman, authorities said.
The New York City public advocate helps solve residents' problems with government and acts as a watchdog over city agencies.
It was essentially suicide.
Unless, of course, she doesn't get her way.
Except at an airport ?
Sounds really bizarre as described so far.
Bet that plea flies out the window in a couple weeks when they file suit against the airport, the airlines, and everyone in the airport that day.
Yeah - can’t wait for the airport security cam video of this wonderful, sweet, loving person totally bugging out and being a complete b!tch.
I think this has already been posted
Just saying . . .
“her handcuffs, which ended up around her neck”
I can’t even imagine what this could mean.
I’m not so sure this will turn into lawsuits. This woman clearly had “issues”. The family won’t want us to know if she had an addiction or mental illness.
If you cause a scene once you get on the plane it’s easy to get removed and arrested, but I’ve seen people get all kinds of loud and irate at the gate and never seen one of them get arrested. They are used to dealing with very unhappy people who miss their planes. This lady must have been out of control.
...that made her late for her flight.
More imoportantly, why do we have "holding cells" at airports?
I meant to add that being irate over a flight assignment is apparently now a capital offense.
It sounds like she had some sort of psychotic break, which could have been brought about by a brain illness. Where was she before the incident and what was she doing?
what a dumb assumption
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