Woman Who Called for Help Assaulted By Police; Police Suing TV Station that Exposed Them
Check out the video below, where WKYC investigative reporter Tom Meyer spoke with Greg Steffey, whose wife, Hope Steffey called 911 after she was assaulted by her cousin. Things took a turn for the worst when the police arrived and treated Hope as the perpetrator. She was arrested, taken to jail, and subjected to a humiliating full-body strip search by both male and female officers, violating the sheriff department's own policy that a strip search be conducted by an officer of the same sex. Hope was then left naked in a cell for six hours. Included in the news segment was video footage of the strip search:
Hope Steffey is apparently not the only one who has suffered such treatment. Five more women later came forward with similar allegations of mistreatment. But according to the police, each of the female detainees threatened suicide, which is what trigged the strip search under the presumption that they had no means of hurting themselves.
All of the women, however, deny making suicide threats. But even if they had there's no reason for the department policy to have been violated.
The officers involved in Steffey's case, who were caught on video roughly removing her clothing while she screamed, are now suing WKYC, claiming defamation and invasion of privacy.
The Stark County sheriff's deputies filed the lawsuit stating that they are victims of one-sided reporting. The sheriff's office insists that deputies removed Steffey's clothing as a suicide precaution on the orders of a psychologist after she is said to have made a statement to a nurse that indicated she might harm herself.
The sheriff's office also contents that Meyer ignored "all the facts that interfere with his sensationalized story and one-sided story." In particular, they point out that he failed to mention that Steffey had been arrested because she was intoxicated and later convicted for misdemeanor resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Brian Zimmerman, one of the attorneys representing the deputies, said that the reports were "purely for ratings and for advertising and promotion."
Comments
these men and women who assaulted this woman should be brought to justice.
they are the reason why people don't trust the police and why even good cops are feared and disrespected and called pigs.
Ok first off the bottom line is it does not matter what Steffey was arrested for, or convicted of, NO ONE should be treated like that, PERIOD!
That being said now let’s look at what happened.
The beginning of the arrest video is missing, or non existent.
The beginning of the strip video was missing, and is now non existent.
During the strip video the camera deliberately swings off of the prisoner, making even more “missing” video, so HOW anyone can say WHAT this was, (a strip search/suicide prevention) is really questionable.
The nurse interview is missing the beginning, and the end, and is HIGHLY edited and “enhanced”.
I called the sheriffs dept and requested an UNEDITED copy of the nurse interview. I told them she was obviously being sarcastic, NOT suicidal, and that in my opinion this was “manufactured” evidence. I said I was going to enhance the whole thing and prove it.
They told me they could not release it, because it’s medical information. HUH?!? So HOW did they give their edited version to the news??? Another Stark County mystery.
When this first came out the sheriff said everything would come out in the grand jury investigation. Only problem is that NO evidence presented to the grand jury can be revealed. So the sheriff, who’s been an officer for years doesn’t know this?
And now the sheriff is saying that he won’t comment because it will all come out at Steffey’s lawsuit.
But the problem with that is Steffey’s lawsuit will NEVER go to trial, and he KNOWS this. So again, nothing will ever come out.
And it will be the same with this lawsuit, this can NEVER go to a trial, because authorities can not afford to answer all the unanswered questions.
The only thing I can think is that this is smoke & mirrors to try to put them in a better light, but that’s not going to happen.
That’s what the deputies don’t seem to get, the news story didn’t make them hated by people, THEIR OWN ACTIONS DID!
And they didn’t just look bad in the local story, but in the national ones as well.
So will they also be suing the major networks too??
I have more, but this is getting long enough.
Later---
In this context, "Good Cops" sounds like the "Good Germans" who knew it was wrong, but were too scared, and complacent to do anything to stop it. In a department like that there are no good cops. Good cops stop crimes. Bad cops sit back and let them happen.
I just don't get it... forget every other detail. Male cops stripping a female? That's a crime. The rest of the story is even worse. But that is one point nobody seems to disagree on. and it's wrong.
as far as I'm concerned, and their voyeurism and perversion are carried out with the full backing of the law. Nice state you've got there.
Time for the FBI to come in, arrest these disgraces to the uniform, and have the DoJ show these thugs what the words "justice" and "law enforcement" are supposed to mean...
This outrage can best be described as a sexual attack akin to rape - that is, if the poor woman wasn't actually raped by the police in that cell. The police who participated in this attack are dangerous to the public. After losing their jobs and carry permit for life, and imprisonment, they should be placed on a sexual offender registry. The fact that there has been a series of sexual attacks by police on women at the station makes it clear that these police officers are suffering from a serious pathology. It is imperative that child welfare and social services visit their homes ASAP to make sure they are not sexually abusing their children.
There are probably children in danger from this gang of sexual offenders. If I lived in Stark County, I would keep my children inside until these police are no longer at large.
I live in Santa Monica, CA. Whenever my family has had to call the police for anything, they always want to act as if the person calling the police is the problem. It's as if they are trying to punish the person calling the police for making them come out and work.
Recently, I observed a group of young men steal from a store, then try to intimidate the woman who took their license plate.
The police were called, I waited as a witness, and when the policeman finally came, he acted as if the people calling and reporting were the problem.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened here.
I think the police are out of control and need to be reigned in.
Now I know what a gang rape involves.
This kind of police brutality crap has been happening for decades. The difference is that now we have video of what goes on in the cells.
What was it like in the old, non-video days?
This is one of the most blatant police abuse cases ever. It appears everyone but the janitor was in the room taking off this woman's clothing. They should all be fired and NEVER get the opportunity to be in law enforcement ever again. I hope this woman and her husband sue for the maximum amount and get it. The humiliation that she endured will be lasting. Ohio should hang its' head in shame.
"Woman Who Called for Help Assaulted By Police; Police Suing TV Station that Exposed Them"
Roaches hate light.
I notice most of the police in the video were waddling around like fat ducks and the Sheriff was a fat slob as well. Too much time at the donut shop
Spent too much time playing the violent video games and watching swat team movies growing up.
I hope this story attracts nationwide attention. It should. But let's keep in mind that video is not the only reason this story has legs. The other reason is the race of the victim. Police brutality has been standard procedure in African American communities for how long?
Pigs. Swine. These "defenders of order" should be treated like any hogs on the farm. Those guys have a great career ahead of them at Abu Ghraib. If this is "protecting the public" I'd hate to see what they'd be like outside of their precious uniforms. Every member of the community should be on their guard against these abusive criminals.
Everyone of these pigs and their lying bosses should be brought up on charges. OMG I can't imagine what that poor woman felt. Having total strangers, men and women clawing at your clothing when you called them for help is scary on every level.
Here is a recent example. 6'2" male Deputy beats the hell out of a 15 year old girl.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1543292903/bctid14370236001
Every single person involved in this crime should be charged and convicted of a sexual offense and be REQUIRED to luive as registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives. If that does not happen- then there is one more bit of proof that SO laws are not being used as they are written.
Her screams will haunt me for a long time and it brought me to tears
And I love when the cops say they HAD to traumatize someone for life for “safety” reasons.
YES, of course there is NO other solution than that, no restraint chairs, no medication, heck there’s not even an actual doctor there. He diagnoses and prescribes OVER THE PHONE!!
When’s the last time YOUR doc would diagnose you and prescribe for you over the phone? Sounds like malpractice for SURE and probably criminal charges too.
As for the "safety" claims for doing this to people, try going here: http://www.sheriff.co.stark.oh.us/mr020219.htm ***
A prisoner had been there TWENTY SIX times and NEVER exhibited ANY suicidal tendencies....UNTIL he too was placed on suicide watch!!
So the sheriff's policies are not only getting lawsuits, they are contributing to the deaths of prisoners?
And the sheriff CONTINUES these polices! Will they be charged with murder the next time they drive a prisoner to take their life?
And that doesn't sound like too safe a "policy" to have, since they claim the deputies have gotten death threats.
Will deputies be safer when they go to someone’s house after the people have seen what happens to crime VICTIMS?
When deputies have to investigate crimes, will people be more willing to help after seeing this?
Probably not, so the streets wouldn’t be safer either for ANYONE.
And since this has been on national news, it not only makes YOUR local police less safe, it also puts MY friends & relation at more risk!
***BTW this webpage has been taken down, and left blank, since I pointed out their admission of guilt.
And I love when the cops say they HAD to traumatize someone for life for “safety” reasons.
YES, of course there is NO other solution than that, no restraint chairs, no medication, heck there’s not even an actual doctor there. He diagnoses and prescribes OVER THE PHONE!!
When’s the last time YOUR doc would diagnose you and prescribe for you over the phone? Sounds like malpractice for SURE and probably criminal charges too.
As for the "safety" claims for doing this to people, try going here: http://www.sheriff.co.stark.oh.us/mr020219.htm ***
A prisoner had been there TWENTY SIX times and NEVER exhibited ANY suicidal tendencies....UNTIL he too was placed on suicide watch!!
So the sheriff's policies are not only getting lawsuits, they are contributing to the deaths of prisoners? And the sheriff CONTINUES these polices!
Will they be charged with murder the next time they drive a prisoner to take their life?
And that doesn't sound like too safe a "policy" to have, since they claim the deputies have gotten death threats.
Will deputies be safer when they go to someone’s house after the people have seen what happens to crime VICTIMS?
When deputies have to investigate crimes, will people be more willing to help after seeing this?
Probably not, so the streets wouldn’t be safer either for ANYONE.
And since this has been on national news, it not only makes YOUR local police less safe, it also puts MY friends & relation at more risk!
*** BTW This webpage has been taken down and left blank, since I pointed out their admission of guilt on it.
BTW this seems to be the edited video, sorry I couldn't watch it to be sure, its just too traumatic to even watch.
The sheriff said that this video was "out of context", because it had been edited.
So heres a link to the unedited video, which is even worse than the one the sheriff complained about. The TV station cut out the WORST pieces of the video, giving these thugs a break they didn't deserve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXh1fBiL0k
The beginning of this video is still "missing".
Friggen pigs should be humilitated by public undressing and then shoot them in the balls and chop off the chick pigs nipples!
When your sheriff's department morphs into thugs and pirates totally dis-regarding their oath of office you are in BIG trouble.
If this were my wife, I would spend the rest of my life until everyone of the criminals in this disguised sheriff's department were in jail themselves.
We have the same type of thugs here in Linn County Oregon run by their Third Reich district attorney's office.
This is the BCI report that Agent Christy S. Palmer sent to John D. Ferrero, Prosecuting Attorney Stark County Ohio.
Dated April 16, 2008 BCI Case #: SI-76-08-14-0147
This is part of page 3
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/?action=view¤t=BCI-Report.jpg
Sheriff Swanson has ALWAYS maintained that Steffey was ASKED & REFUSED to remove her cloths.
But here’s the BCI’s OWN REPORT that PROVES this is a LIE!
And then they try to explain away their first lie with another lie, about why it was done this way without asking Steffey to do it voluntarily.
They are trying to say that Steffey was resisting enough that EIGHT people (5 women, 3 men) couldn't take the chance of ASKING her to remove her cloths, or EVEN TELL HER WHAT WAS GOING ON!!!
What a crock!!
I did NOT see any resisting in the video, I saw eight cops parading her to the cell, with her in cuffs.
In fact EVERY video I have seen she is in cuffs!
And the ONLY times I have seen her react to the cops is after they have assaulted her or in the process of stripping her naked.
But apparently catching the sheriff's dept in a lie isn't a big deal to our "independent" BCI investigator, Christy Palmer, who seems ready to accept ANY excuse the sheriff's dept wants to use.
The report also goes on to say that they lowered Steffey in a slow controlled manner to the floor. Except that Steffey says she was thrown to the floor.
She also told her husband in a phone call that she thought the cops had broken her nose.
And she was treated by the nurse for the injury.
And in page 4 of this report Christy Palmer even states that Steffey reported that her nose was making "crunching noises".
So I guess this is proof of a second LIE! (Or third)
And still Christy Palmer, the "independent investigator" doesn’t think twice about accepting the word of the cops over the VICTIMS in spite of proof.
BTW, Christy also references a video that she says “proves that she was lowered in a slow controlled manner to the floor”. As far as I know, THIS would have to be on the 'non-existent' beginning of the strip video.
On May 5th when I asked about the "missing" video, I was told it would soon be released.
Now here again it looks as though it’s referenced...even though they NOW claim it does not exist.
Interesting. (I have filed a request for this video.)
This isn’t so much an investigation report as it is a smear campaign against Hope Steffey.
The cops can polish this turd as much as want, this STILL STINKS!
BTW I don't know why they bothered to black out the names of Nurse Coren Lennon and the jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz, aren't they PROUD of the work they do?
Wow! They didn't even ask who was the one who called 911! Aren't they suppose to do that? But like others have said no one deserves to be treated like that! And since they violated their OWN policy, they should all lose their badges or something because that is so wrong its not even funny!