Woman victim brutally strip searched by male officer

[MadScot]

This is what we have come to in this zero tolerence facist police state we used to call the land of the free. Warning this is not pretty. Make that male officers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1yUsYIk2EM

[Mysteefied]

A very sad situation. Its upsetting. and they clearly violated their own rules, even though they said they didnt.

[Meat Man]

This is so wrong!! :mad:


In Philly after we do a fast pat down, we have to call a female officer for a search.

THERE IS A MALE OFFICER RIGHT THERE WITH THAT WOMEN:mad:

[Mysteefied]

It looked like there were several of them

[Shesalonewolf]

Well, I hate to say this, but Madera County is the same way....and have the same practices right down to the leaded vest...... :(

[Ironhorse]

I had a night I took 30 razor blades off a suicidal woman in a strip search. She had them in her hair, mouth, shoes, clothes, everywhere. I had to do it alone and I wouldn't have cared if a male officer had been with me (they were out in the hallway, waiting if I needed help (that's if I had been able to yell for help if something happened). A hysterical 120 lb woman can be stronger than a 250 lb man in some instances/circumstances, and it can take 5 or more people to hold her down. Sometimes you have no choice, sometimes you do. As for leaving her with nothing, that's common, a person can hang themselves in a cell in less than 15 minutes with a shoelace or belt or knotted up clothing. Until you're sure they're not going to try, you don't take chances. Either way, in today's world, you're going to be sued. Not saying this was done right in this instance, but I will say that till I saw more information about what happened, I wouldn't rush to make a judgement.

[MadScot]

Did you hear the story this woman was the victim of an assault she wasn't an attempted suicide. I'm aware of the law about having a second license. This is what I'm talking about absurd zero tolerance. She wasn't trying to use the other license in a fraudulent manner in the commission of a crime. To her it was just a memento of her dead sister. The spirit of the law was not being broken. I got stopped once I had just gotten my new license I hadn't taken my old one out of my wallet yet. The officer told me it was unlawful to carry the expired license. He handed it back to me and said be sure to dispose of it or put it away at home. That's all this cop needed to do instead he behaved like a mindless jerk and the victim of a crime ends up being treated like a criminal. You go ahead and make all the excuses you want this didn't need to go down like this. Just the thought that this could have been my daughter treated like this sends my blood pressure soaring.

[Ironhorse]

Did you hear the story this woman was the victim of an assault she wasn't an attempted suicide. I'm aware of the law about having a second license. This is what I'm talking about absurd zero tolerance. She wasn't trying to use the other license in a fraudulent manner in the commission of a crime. To her it was just a memento of her dead sister. The spirit of the law was not being broken. I got stopped once I had just gotten my new license I hadn't taken my old one out of my wallet yet. The officer told me it was unlawful to carry the expired license. He handed it back to me and said be sure to dispose of it or put it away at home. That's all this cop needed to do instead he behaved like a mindless jerk and the victim of a crime ends up being treated like a criminal. You go ahead and make all the excuses you want this didn't need to go down like this. Just the thought that this could have been my daughter treated like this sends my blood pressure soaring.

I heard the story, I'm aware she was the victim. I also heard her answer to the question about suicide. She was also hysterical both at the scene and at the station. Yes, the probability is because of the treatment she was receiving, but they didn't show the whole video, they didn't show the whole video from the cam in the patrol car. Sorry, that makes me suspicious, especially since the video was most likely supplied by the attorney. All I'm saying is I'd rather wait and see more information about what happened before making my judgement. If the matter was handled the way they say it was, then the department should get hammered.

[CatdaBrat]

Ironhorse has a point....we don't know for sure what circumstances led to the scenes on the video. Most times, extra help like that isn't called in for searches unless the person being held is out of control and refuses to cooperate. I would prefer to wait and see if any more details surface before I made up my mind one way or the other.

I have an old driver's license, too, that once belonged to someone else. I have my dad's. He died in 1980 and I like the photo on his license. But I don't carry it in my wallet next to mine, where it would be all too easy to grab the wrong one. (Not that anyone would think I am trying to use his identity!) I can see this gal wanting to keep her dead sister's license for sentimental reasons, but it doesn't make sense to keep it with her own license. I think there's more to this than what we're being shown....so far, anyway.

[MadScot]

They asked her if she EVER thought about harming herself. She answers in what I consider a way that makes me believe she is still somewhat rational by wanting clarification if they mean ever or now. Understand that I did abuse counseling for several years and am experienced dealing with suicidal people. Twice I had to call police to intervene and prevent a suicide. Just because someone may at one time in their life thought about it doesn't mean they are an emanate threat to themselves. I too would like to see all the footage but I can only judge on what I have seen and heard so far. BTW if a person was really intent on killing themselves they could do so striped naked in a padded room unless they were strapped down to a table in an approved manner.

[MadScot]

I just wanted to add that by her answer of now or ever the logical assumption by me would be that at one time she had considered it but is not thinking about it now. If you had never considered it or were currently considering it I would expect a no answer.

[Ironhorse]

They asked her if she EVER thought about harming herself. She answers in what I consider a way that makes me believe she is still somewhat rational by wanting clarification if they mean ever or now. Understand that I did abuse counseling for several years and am experienced dealing with suicidal people. Twice I had to call police to intervene and prevent a suicide. Just because someone may at one time in their life thought about it doesn't mean they are an emanate threat to themselves. I too would like to see all the footage but I can only judge on what I have seen and heard so far. BTW if a person was really intent on killing themselves they could do so striped naked in a padded room unless they were strapped down to a table in an approved manner.

Exactly, but most police officers don't have that training and can only try to make a judgement based on what they are seeing and hearing. THEY didn't know if she meant she had considered it that night or prior to that night or ever. And yes, a person can commit suicide stripped naked in a padded room, but if an officer left clothing or other items that could be used by that person, and they attempted to kill themselves with that clothing or other items, well, it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't situation". Sometimes cops just have to do the best that they can with what tools and information they have, and they're fallible, just like everyone else out there. Like I said, IF they did something wrong, the I.A. will reveal it and they should be dealt with accordingly, but they deserve the chance to show they didn't, with ALL the evidence brought forth, not just that selected by the attorney, just like anyone else.

[beautiful_mess38]

First of all she was of irrational mind to begin with. Whatever happened to her could have made her not think clearly.
Then they want to take her to jail...why. I can understand questioning but you dont have to be handcuffed and stripped searched for that. If she didn't do anything wrong of course she's going to refuse arrest.
There were also 2 male cops left in the cell with her while she was completely naked. why?
Yes I would like to know the whole story too. But from what I saw leaves alot of questions.

[MadScot]

I have a lot of issues with what happened here.

A victim should be treated like a victim not a criminal.

IMO the officer who refused to return the license used poor judgment and escalated the tensions. I believe had he kept with the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law this whole incident would have been avoided. Police make these judgments on a daily basis.

Police should not be making judgments on the mental health of an individual unless they receive specific intense training in that area.

If a person is indeed a danger to themselves they should be immediately taken to a mental health facility and not arrested treated in a manner which will only put them in a higher state of distress and left alone in a jail cell where they may still be able to damage themselves.

If a county doesn't have ample mental health facilities maybe they should build less jails to comfortably house criminals and build more mental health facilities where sick people can get the help they need.

I am also disturbed by the response of the sheriff who blindly defends his officers. His job is to uphold the law and from the actions I saw if the officers didn't break the law and only didn't follow policy than the law should be changed to make their actions not only a violation of policy but a violation of the law.

The further down the road we go in not protecting our citizens from abuse of power the closer we come to turning into a Nazi police state.

These are the reasons behind my first post which some may think was over the top.

I wanted to add the 911 call made by her cousin indicated she was injured why was an ambulance not dispatched along with a police unit.

[Ironhorse]

Is the sheriff automatically defending his officers any worse than the public/media immediately crucifying them because they're cops????? Both sides need to back down and wait for the investigations to be completed. What is the sheriff supposed to do? Show a lack of support for his officers, before anyone knows everything that happened. I can guarantee you, just on experience, that there is more to this that the brief 9-1-1 call and the bits and pieces of video. Like I said, it may turn out that the charges against the officers a valid, it may turn out to be a defense attorney's attempts to put a spin on it all to make his client look good. No one knows at this point. Complaints are filed every day against cops for things they didn't even do, or attempts are made to make it look like they did something they didn't. They may or may not deserve the opportunity to be vindicated in the I.A., but no one will know till it's complete. Just saying..............

[MadScot]

If there were lynch mobs forming the Sheriff did nothing to defuse the situation. Maybe there would be less public outcry if the Sheriff would have said something like: I am disturbed by what I've seen and I will get to the bottom of this. If the officers have violated policy or broken the law they will held accountable. Even a simple I'm waiting for the report of the internal investigation before I make a public statement. Maybe a statement saying we are investigating and reviewing our policies. Instead he makes a defiant statement I'll do my talking in court. What talking does he need to do in court was he a witness? The written policy of the department doesn't need to be verified by him it's in writing. Can you blame the public for being outraged by what they have seen?

[Ironhorse]

http://cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=397806&r=0&subCategoryID=

Sheriff responds to strip-search video
Saturday, February 2, 2008

CANTON Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson issued a statement Friday related to a woman's 2006 arrest and a videotape showing her being stripped naked at the Stark County Jail by male and female deputies.

The arrest of Hope Steffey of Salem was featured in a Channel 3 news report Thursday night.

Steffey has a pending federal lawsuit against Swanson's department, saying she was assaulted by deputies, denied medical help and was the victim of excessive force during her arrest on Oct. 20-21, 2006.

The complaint is pending in U.S. District Court before Judge David D. Dowd Jr.

Swanson's statement said his office investigated an incident involving Steffey. She was charged and later convicted in Alliance Municipal Court of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, he said.

"We have answered all inquiries by the attorneys and we are prepared to proceed in a court of law, NOT IN THE MEDIA," Swanson said in a statement.

He declined to comment further, citing the pending allegations.

Steffey's attorneys, David B. Malik of Chesterland and Dennis J. Nierman of Cleveland, could not be reached Friday for comment.

Channel 3's report prompted numerous calls Friday to the Stark County commissioners' office. Commissioner Todd Bosley declined to comment.

According to Steffey's lawsuit originally filed in October and since amended:

Steffey, 47, was assaulted by a cousin on Oct. 20, 2006, on Weimer Drive SE, prompting a 911 call. A sheriff's deputy arrived and Steffey mistakenly gave the deputy her deceased sister's driver's license, not her own. The deputy refused to hand it back when she noticed the mistake and she pleaded for its return, the lawsuit said.

The deputy did not get medical help for Steffey's assault wounds and instead assaulted Steffey, the lawsuit said. The deputy slammed her into his cruiser, cracking one of her teeth, and later slammed her into the ground, causing cuts and bruises, the lawsuit said.

Later at the jail, Steffey said she was asked, "Have you thought about harming yourself?" She responded, "Now or ever?"

She said she was immediately stripped by male and female guards without ever being asked to voluntarily remove her clothing.

"The force used by these defendants was unreasonable and excessive. The force used was designed to inflict pain and to punish," the lawsuit said.

She was later left in a cell naked for six hours. "In order to keep warm and regain her dignity, Hope wrapped herself in toilet paper to keep (the unnamed guards) or anyone else from seeing her naked. This situation was designed to humiliate, inflict emotional pain and to punish."

Steffey was given a suspended jail term for her convictions.

DENIALS

In a written response to the lawsuit, Swanson and his deputies deny wrongdoing and maintain the arresting deputy, Richard T. Gurlea Jr., and others at the jail are allowed to use reasonable force to make an arrest and protect prisoners in their custody.

The department does not deny that Steffey was stripped of her clothes and left naked in a cell for six hours.

The defense has asked a judge to dismiss the claims.

Dowd has set a status conference for May.

[Ironhorse]

Looks to me like the Sheriff's response was the following:

"Swanson's statement said his office investigated an incident involving Steffey. She was charged and later convicted in Alliance Municipal Court of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, he said.

"We have answered all inquiries by the attorneys and we are prepared to proceed in a court of law, NOT IN THE MEDIA," Swanson said in a statement."

And it was probably issued at the direction of the department's attorneys. The story, as written by the media and the victim's attorney, doesn't look good and like I said, if the deputies are wrong, they should be penalized in the appropriate manner. But I haven't found anything about the results of the I.A. (Internal Affairs) investigation. A lot of times with something as touchy as this one, an outside agency does the investigation, in California it could be either the Attorney General's Offices or another local law enforcement agency. I'm guessing that could have happened here.

[MadScot]

Part 2 in the news story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ6Lsqmf9yM

Apparently the video evidence we have seen is patchy because the police either didn’t follow procedure in turning on the car cameras, destroyed it or didn't turn it all over.

Are we expected to believe that it's not ok for a male officer to strip search a female who may be carrying a weapon but it's ok for a male officer to strip a woman for her own protection.

As far as the media and the public convicting people before the full story is known it happens all the time. Take the cop whose 3rd wife is missing the press has all but convicted him and there is not one shred of evidence he is guilty. How about the Indian woman who was just all over the news. The press was convicting her husband right up to the point where she surfaces across the country prompting Nancy Grace to eat crow for her venomous reports. Unlike these officers whose names have not been released everybody in the whole country knows this guys wife left him. I don’t think these officers are being treated any different than what has become the norm. If anything they are being somewhat shielded by not having their names released.
Sometimes the press and public are right in their rush to judgment like in the Scott Peterson case and sometimes they are wrong.