Hurricane Katrina Survivor Victimized Again: Injuries from Police Required Surgery

US Newswire (Press release) ^ | 12/14/05 | n/a

[kiriath_jearim]

Hurricane Katrina Survivor Victimized Again: Injuries from Police Use of Excessive Force Required Surgery

12/14/2005 8:00:00 AM

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A New Orleans woman is recovering from surgery this week from injuries resulting from when she was roughed-up by authorities who forced her to leave her home a week after Hurricane Katrina. Patricia Konie, 58, has filed a Federal lawsuit over the injuries and other violations of civil rights.

"My client was severely injured in a needless removal from her home," stated attorney Ashton O'Dwyer. "Patricia Konie had food, plenty of water, and a roof over her head. The police who illegally entered her home and imposed their will on a frail, middle-aged female should have been out apprehending armed, male looters instead."

Konie was greeting a reporter and photographer from a San Francisco TV station and a journalist from the London Times when police unexpectedly entered her home. When she refused to leave as ordered, they confiscated a firearm used for defense and according to Konie, "slammed" her to the ground, both displacing and fracturing her left shoulder.

After remaining in custody for several hours without charges being filed against her by authorities, she was flown alone to South Carolina where she remained for more than a month before returning to her native New Orleans.

A Federal lawsuit was filed claiming that authorities assaulted and knocked her to the ground when she refused to leave her New Orleans home on September 7th, 2005. Konie also alleges numerous civil rights violations including assault and battery by police in her suit against several Louisiana and California State Police officers who took her into custody. She also alleges authorities violated her Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

"Hurricane Katrina was horrible, but there is no excuse for what happened to this nice lady", said O'Dwyer. "Police caused her months of pain and suffering and she still faces months of physical therapy. This suit will hold the individuals responsible for their misdeeds."

Konie had her surgery early on Monday morning, December 12. She is still recovering in the hospital, and lives alone on a limited budget of Social Security benefits. She is devastated by what happened and has not had her seized property returned.

"Sadly, Patricia Konie is only one of many examples of police going too far in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," said O'Dwyer. "Already one court has ruled against their strong-arm tactics, and we look forward to our day in court."

[Mulder]

ping

[Travis McGee]

"We're from the government, and we're here to help, dammit!"

[vrwc0915]

Pathetic! One day CHP or fill in the blank will encounter some that have fought and will fight for the constitution, I don't know about your former shipmates but about 90% of mine are openly saying that they don't plan on rolling over as the constitution continues to be used as toilet paper and are disgusted with the current state of affairs 80 year olds are one thing but a pissed off Marine rifle squad is a little tougher nut to crack

[Travis McGee]

It's going to get very interesting if unseen threats (possible radiation, anthrax etc) cause the govt to call for cities to be evacuated. Many will refuse the order. What then?

And those who do comply, will reach checkpoints or transition areas where their guns will be taken away.
What then?

[freepatriot32]

wideawake you can see the video for yourself here and ishabibble as you can see on the end of the video there was not one drop of water in her neighborhood as they are leading her out to the paddy wagon they are walking across bone dry ground she was not a "rooftop refugee"

video of Patricia Konie being forcibly removed from her home illegally by cops that did not have a warrant to even be in her house

4th amendment to the united states constitution(last I checked new orleans was a part of the usa)

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

another question that comes to mind is why after al l this time even if they thought they were justified in taking her gun from her for her own safety have they not given it back yet?

all those that are applauding the cops for violating constitutional rights as well as state and federal law maybe you should all get together and start your own forum called enslaved statist.com because you cant be happy on FREE republic.com and you must all be absolutely miserable living in one

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[vrwc0915]

bounding overwatch convoy comes to mind :)

Best plan is to avoid contact

[B4Ranch]

I am waiting for you to answer ARCADIA'S post to you. I hope you will.

[B4Ranch]

That's when THE SWHTFan.

[ishabibble]

I just went back and reviewed my comments on this subject.
I stand by the fact that I did not comment at all on the particular subject of the article, a woman who didn't need to be rescued and the NOLA cops who mugged her for the cameras. My only observation at this point, after reading the posts that followed mine, is that it's just a shame that it wasn't the nonexistent members of NOPD who showed up to "rescue" her!

My comments pertain only to the disgraceful behaviour of the city and those people who remained even after they were repeatedly warned to evacuate. I stand corrected on the use of the term, 'mandatory evacuation'. NOLA has always been a "problem child" for the U.S. and throwing good money after bad is not going to help anyone. We were absolutely disgraced on the world stage by those people, and that is what I am trying to convey here. Slow response time from FEMA? These hurricanes hit Cuba too, so how was Fidel's response time?

Bottom line...the levees broke after a major hurricane and flooded NOLA, as had been predicted for over a hundred yrs.
Blanco, and especially Nagin belong in jail. The good people of NOLA are far more hurt by this than the screeching money grabbers and looters I saw on my TV. I know this because my own home flooded during the Christmas season 2003. All the ready cash I had went to pay for a hotel (the stench was unbearable) and to the Mexican workers who helped me load everything I owned into a dumpster. Custom drapes, furniture, clothing, photos, etc...in brief, everything I owned and loved. I know only too well what is in store for the people who will go back and try to pick up the pieces. I just wonder that nobody seems to remember that good and decent people in AL and MS have it just as bad, but are largely forgotten. Thank you for your attention to my "mandatory explanation".

[vrwc0915]

FIST checkpoint perhaps?

[B4Ranch]

"I stand corrected on the use of the term, 'mandatory evacuation'."

This was what I was hoping for. That you would be man enough to admit your belief in the authority of city officials is restricted contrary to the terminology they may use.

Mandatory or "Required or commanded by authority" is not quite what it appears to be. With us citizens, when the Mayor says it is "mandatory" what he is saying is that "we (the city services) won't make any effort to rescue you during your time of greatest need if you don't follow my directions. You or your heirs will have no grounds to sue the city should fate befall you.

Once in a while you will hear a police or fire chief say on TV that he is withdrawing his men and equipment from an oncoming disaster because the danger is too great.

We do have the right to stay and fight Mother Nature if we wish. Most folks aren't equipped or trained to do so, so they should abandon the area and what belongings they cannot take with them.

This old lady, Patricia Konie had probably been through a couple of dozen other hurricanes, knew her home was above the flood levels should a dike fail. She'd probably had her roof repaired a few times, had been looted a few times but overall had a good idea of just what the risks were. If she wanted to stay and tough it out, then that is her choice.

She wasn't asking for help of any sort. She had food, self defense, her medicines, previous experience, etc., in other words she was quite well prepared. I can't find any "disgraceful behaviour" in what she did.

"Blanco, and especially Nagin belong in jail."

Are you willing to let Mike Brown, the initial FEMA Director slide on this because he was appointed to office by a Republican?

Blanco, Nagin nor Brown should be walking free today IMO but because of their titles they are free from lawsuit.

When push comes to shove, I want to be the one to make the decisions as to just exactly what I should do to protect my family. I don't want a Mayor, a Police Chief who is afraid of citizens with firearms nor a Governor, because I live in this Zip Code telling me that I must go to Shelter A located in Region C and they will determine how much food and water my family requires. That is the very same opinion that Patricia Konie has.

[ozzymandus]

This is the old lady from the video. She says she's fine, doesn't want to leave, and shows the cops an antique revolver, laying in the palm of her hand. A 300-pound cop body slams her and they drag her out of her house. She didn't threaten anybody. She should sue the sh*t out of them, especially the thug cop.

[ishabibble]

B4 we go any further here, I certainly AM NOT man enough...! I am a woman, and you should have realized that fact when I mentioned that my custom draperies were destroyed in a flood. So was my brand new giant TV (gift from sons) which had the Mexican men who helped me practically weeping! I now have two semi-giant brand new TV's, as my sons believe that next time disaster happens, one might be spared. Go figure!

As for the rest, I do believe that given NOLA history, and the known circumstances of the condition of the levees, plus the scores of very poor people and the weather conditions, added to the fact that there was no comprehensive preparedness plan in place, or that the entire political structure was more rotten than the levees top to bottom, that a MANDATORY ORDER OF EVACUATION should have been given. The situation in NOLA would not have been nearly as bad if the city had been emptied of every human being. And I think that Chertoff, not Brown, should have issued that order. Maybe there would have been a hue and cry, but certainly nothing like the scandalous scene that ensued. The Reagan quip about "I'm from the gov't and I'm here to help" applies to the last part of your post. I agree with you on protecting your family and your property, it's the other guy I don't trust. See?

[B4Ranch]

ishabibble hasn't created an about page. Not being the mind reader I once was. You are a woman. I glad to hear that.

Now on to "custom draperies". These can be anything from bedsheets hung over the windows to the finest material known to man, so perhaps you'll forgive me that I didn't automatically suspect that you wear panties and a bra.

"it's the other guy I don't trust. See?"

We do share some common characteristics. See?

[ishabibble]

I didn't automatically suspect that you wear panties and a bra, either. Although, I am beginning to think that perhaps you wear jockey shorts and mismatched socks.
Sheets hung over a window? Only a guy would ever utter such blashphemy!

We may share some of the same characteristics...do you love shopping and late lunch after the spa? Fabulous, isn't it? Life is good, see?

[B4Ranch]

"do you love shopping and late lunch after the spa? Fabulous, isn't it? Life is good, see?"

That fits the lady I'm married to, one who is another independent thinker.

For me, life is darn good ...... because of her.

[Travis McGee]

That's where we're going.

[Travis McGee]

Emergencies can really work to Big Brother's favor. Citizens will accept all kind of regimentation, and a great deal of filtering and sorting can be done.

[ishabibble]

You state the obvious, sir!

My best regards to Mrs. B4R, and my apologies to her regarding the mismatched socks comment. You're clearly very well managed!