Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 18, 2007 13:16:18 GMT -5
Video on link at bottom
A Tennessee police officer has been fired, after a dash cam video showed him reach inside a woman's car and pulled her onto the street.
It all started when the woman wouldn't sign a traffic ticket.
There's Stephanie Taylor on the ground in pain. She was pulled over January 3rd for speeding by former Lavergne Police Officer Shawn Temple. The traffic stop began badly and only got worse.
Officer 1: "I need your signature on the bottom. It's not an admission of guilt."
Victim: "okay.. Where's your radar?"
Officer 1: "Maam, I need your signature here."
Victim: "no where's your radar?"
Officer 1: "if you refuse to sign it I'm placing you under arrest."
"I don't know that there's anything different she could have done."
It's hard for Anita and Gene Teamer to watch this tape.
Victim: "no. Ya'll obviously don't understand."
Officer 1: "apparently you don't understand english like coming out of my mouth. You need to sign this or you're going to jail."
Victim: (unintelligible.)
Officer 1: "Maam are you going to sign this?"
Victim: "no! Are you going to arrest me?"
Victim: "stop, stop. Owww.:
Officer 1: "down!"
Victim: "owwww!"
Officer 1: "down!"
Victim: "you are hurting me. I have a metal rod in my leg!"
Officer 1: "quit moving around."
"It hurts no one wants to see their children treated like that. Hearing her cry out in anguish and pain and I not be there."
"There were two officers there and personally I feel like other officers should have intervened, call one's supervisor."
When a supervisor got a look at this tape they fired one officer and put another on leave.
"The officers are to protect the citizens it didn't seem to happen that particular time."
Stephanie Taylor's parents don't think race was a factor in the way their daughter was treated. She's hired an attorney and considering a potential lawsuit. Her parents will be watching.
In a report, the Lavergne Police Chief said quote: "former officer Taylor actually reached into the car and unlocked the door, then unbuckled Taylor's seatbelt and slung her to the pavement."
Medics were called to Taylor's traffic stop before officers let her go home.
Taylor's parents said the metal rod she referred to in the video was the result of a car crash two years ago.
www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=42200