Strip Search Investigation
So far nothing is being done to investigate the sheriff deputies’ behavior. What do you think should be done?
posted by lbarr at
6:47 PM
Channel 3 News Feedback
posted by lbarr at
6:47 PM
186 Comments:
What!!! Is there not one descent prosecuting attorney left in Ohio ?
How can anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the law set back and do nothing?
It is time that those who have the power to take action do so , We holler about our streets and crime but yet the very people we expect to hold them selves to the highest standard are worse than the very criminals we fear.
Here is the problem .. The police, school boards , teachers, judges have all put them selves above the very people who pay their paycheck and are offended when we ask why or expect them to answer for their behavior. Descent taxpaying citizen & their children are not treated with any respect, if you butt the good old boy system then you’re a trouble maker, if your child is harassed to the point of no longer going to school and you ask what is going to be done your told you can be barred from the school and the harassed child see’s that if you bad enough you get away with it so the behavior transfers to the streets , Where you have holy’er than tho attitudes from the police because they know we will not buck the good old boy system.. If we want change we need to BUCK THE System to the point we recall, vote out or just plain fire everyone one who looks the other way.. If we don’t we will be no better then the out of control extremists overseas .
This was one of the most disturbing incidents I have ever seen! Are we still in the USA? No matter what the woman may have said, to be stripped of clothing, put in a cell for hours and having male deputies in on the event- that is sick. I dont care who you think you are- no one has the right to violate another person in this matter! Personally, I feel all seven of the deputy sheriff's need to be diciplined. I can see how the victim felt she was "raped without penetration". I hope she sues each and every one of them. It will not bring back her dignity that they have taken away, but it will sure make them think again on violating another citizen! That was not only uncalled for behavior (aren't the police suppose to protect?) , I can't believe that the department can actually stand there and defend their actions.
I am a 49 year old female from Wayne County who frequently shops, etc. in Stark County. This story disturbed me so badly, I could hardly sleep last night. It makes me sick to my stomach to think something so unspeakable could happen to this lady. And that so many officers were involved in this outragous act against this woman! Especially the women officers!! How could they do that?? It was not clear to me why they turned on her and how they can justify their actions is beyond me. Actually, it doesn't even appear that anyone is asking the officers to explain why they did this to this poor woman. Why the strip search? Why not give her back her clothes? The whole thing is disgusting and I have no respect for the entire Stark County law enforcement if they can let this go unchecked. They should all be ashamed to be associated with Stark County Law Enforcement.
I hope that your news story on this appalling behavior gets all the involved officers fired. At a minimum, it was police brutality; but it sure looked like rape to me. I hope Mrs. Steffey has received counseling, and hopefully at Stark County's expense. What an outrage!
I normally do not get "worked up" over stories like this, but the video showing the degree to which the Sheriff's Department handled this case is quite disturbing. It's not difficult to picture someone close to you (wife or daughter) in a similar situation, thus making this story feel closer to home. I feel that the Sheriff's Deputies involved deserve to be treated in the same fashion they treated Steffey! See how they like being HUMILIATED! I do not feel that Steffey was the least bit unruly, so as to be forcibly stripped NAKED for 6 (SIX!) hours!!! I think it's a classic case of police brutality!
As Tom Meyer pointed out, they violated their own policies regarding strip-searches. Lord only know what other of their own rules they BLATANTLY violated!
To the people who are criticizing WKYC for "convicting" the Stark County Sheriff's Department, did you view the video that was shown?!?! Imagine those things happening to your wife, or daughter!!
I honestly feel that WKYC, and Tom Meyer are only looking to expose the injustice that Steffey had to endure that night, in a Stark County jail.
I have never seen such irresponsible reporting in my entire life. If you are unable to acquire only one side of a story, especially one of this nature, you should not be reporting on it. How dare you call for punishments on hard-working and dedicated deputies when you have yet to hear their side of the story. Maybe there is a reason you are the only station reporting this story and maybe there is a reason why I avoid your news programs. Unbelievable...
Unfortunately there are officers of the law that think they are above the law. Even more unfortunate, is the fact that there is a excellant chance that all the officers involved will get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The ones who will be investigating this case are probably going to be co-workers of the accused, not an outside agency. The comments made by the chief himself already are supporting his officers. I wish this family the best of luck. They will probably get money if they get a good lawyer and sue. And in this case definately deserve it. However, the officers involved will still have jobs "PROTECTING AND SERVING"
Officers of the Law should be held accountable for their actions to even higher standards than the citizens they are paid to protect. After all, they are given higher respect with their position in society, right? This strip search was an assault on Mrs. Steffey at the very least - regardless of what she did or did not do that landed her in their CONTROL. This kind of misconduct happens more than we ever get to know and someone needs to "Serve and Protect" US, the people that give Officers of Law their authority, which they sometimes abuse, like any other human.
This is an outrage! She was the victim. I hope she gets an exorbitant sum in damages and they have sanctions on those deputies.
It is CLEAR that there are 2 male deputies 'assisting' with the strip search...as well as the tape is heavily edited.
She is lucky that they didn't taser her, it really sounds like those deputies had some sort of power trip. I am glad she wasn't killed 'for her safety'.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Detention-Center-Tour-Lawsuit.php
Apparently this office isn't at all unfamiliar with these kinds of humilating strip searches. The Sheriff is denying these underage girls allegations too.
One of the most disgusting things I've seen happen in America in some time. Why are we seeing more & more of these incidents of police abusing their authority & acting as if they are judge,jury & executioner? Why are we as citizens tolerating it? Once a 125 lb.woman is handcuffed I find it pretty hard to believe she was much of a threat to anyone. Surely this video is grounds for immediate discharge of the deputies involved as well as any others who stood by & failed to help this woman. All evidence should be reviewed& appropriate criminal charges filed.I am really sick of the tired old excuse of police officers acting like this because of the "dangers" of their job. If anyone is that frieghtened of a 41 year old woman in handcuffs they're in the wrong line of work. As far as "doing it for her own good,well I'd hate to see what they'd do to her if they weren't so caring. Stark County- demand this Sherriff resign,because his tolerance of this is about to cost you a whole lot of money.
i think when all this over and done with the policemen involved would be lucky if they could get a security job. they are out of control
I am not condoning the activity, but bear in mind: The dashcam, other than audio, records only the front of the vehicle and if the camera manually turned to the rear will record the interior. Thus, there was no reason to have the camera on prior to the Deputy realizing there was going to be something that he felt should be recorded on the scene, which is why the camera must have been eventually turned on. Secondly, the "other video camera" at the jail is that which recorded the activities of the restraint and clothing removal. The fixed camera appears to have recorded her being escorted to the cell, and it is evident that the Sheriff does the supplementary recordings to prove or disprove events while dealing with prisoners. I think that if Ms Steffy was that agitated, rather than fight to get a jail uniform on her, they could have placed her in a cell, on a one to one observation if they felt that she was suicidal. The jail garb could just as easilly act as a suicidal tool, as could her own garments. After she was calmer, or eligible for bond, which should have been immediate being it was a misdemeanor charge, at that time if unable to post bond maybe she could have been afforded the opportunity to change into the required jail garb. It appears on the exterior, that un-needed force was used especially when it came to placing her in the jail garb, as well as her own dignity violated, if they would have taken a bit of time to let her calm down. I am not taking a side, as there is two sides to every story, but she was convicted of Disordly Conduct, so it must have been an ugly scene at the house, but once at the jail that was another story.
The sherrif needs to lose his job along with all the officers involved in the strip search for cover up the sherrif says that a strip search is only done with the same sex officers it is as plain as the nose on my face those were not the same sex officers.they have been tring to cover this up but now the tapes out were are the rest of the tapes and why do they still have there jobs?
Give me a break. She gives a false ID, she's clearly resisting. Thank you Law Enforcement for doing a great job, and keeping these type of people off the streets.
They should be fired. Just because they are sheriff deputies doesn't mean that they are above the law.
This happens more often than you think. Unless someone comes forward and "snitches" on a fellow officer, or unless a news outlet starts digging around, it is never uncovered.'
There should be a independent agency created with authority to enter all jails/prisons at any time to interview detainees, copy video tapes, and privately question officers. Only an independent agency could uncover the percentage of officers who are unbalanced, the 10-20% of police who are abusive towards women.
I have always been held accountable for my actions and I am just a citizen. Tim Swanson SHOULD BE DEFINITELY HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OFFICER'S ACTIONS AND THEY ALSO SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. The video says it all.
They have wronged her and her husband and grievously insulted the honor and dignity of that woman. Biblically speaking, the husband would be within his right to demand either a steep fine or the very lives of those who brutally assaulted his wife.
Personally for me, if somebody tried to arrest my wife when she hadn't done anything, I would have assumed they were bogus cops or the sort of cops who have been known to arrest women so they can then take them away and rape them, and I would have responded to the attempted arrest with an M4 carbine.
When the government fears the people, you have freedom. When the people fear the government, you have tyranny.
Welcome to America, 1984...
this investigation is poor at best.hope meyer was convicted of her charges in a court of law which proves the arresting deputy was not "confused" as reported.just because a "victim" calls doesn't mean they are immune from arrest or not held to the same standard of conduct as every other citizen.
next, the reason there are so many deputies in the cell is for hope's protection. as you can clearly see, no "force" be it excessive or not was ever used. most of the time only one hand was present at the cuff site to hold her still. the male deputies could be seen on video looking away from hope as she was undressed. the females removed the clothing. when a person makes claims of being suicidal be it "real" or "joking" the deputies must take it serious. attornies like david malik have seen to that w/ frivilous law suits. the "heavy" apron that hope had to wear is called a suicide gown. it is made so it can not tear to be used for the act of suicide unlike a t-shirt, pants, or a bra. all of which have been used in the past for inmates/arrestees to end their lives.
the request for the "missing" video from the camcorder seen on the in jail surveyllience is not missing. what do your viewiers think they are watching as part of your investigation, a re-inactment. that is the "missing" video.
it is not a strip search that was conducted on hope, as a result of the notification of intent to commit suicide, her clothing had to be removed for her protection. perhaps if she complied w/ deputies requests to remove the items herself, she wouldn't be "traumatized" as your article states.
i have seen nothing wrong w/ what deputies have done. one thing can be seen from this investigation, hope is alive to file her frivilous law suit because the deputies did their job. imagine that.
when this circus makes its way thru the court system and is dismissed, i wonder if channel 3 will do a two part segment appologizing to each deputy shown on tv who was accused by tom meyer for wrong doing. than again that wouldn't be "big news".
Obviously the officers involved need to be fired and prosecuted. But moreover, her misdemeanor conviction needs to be revisited because - according with the news report - her conviction (an assault victim that mistakenly gave her late sister's id and leaned on the officer for support) makes NO sense. There is a great deal about this case that stinks.
This is awful. I hope they pay for the awful things they did to steffy. I am from Oklahoma and I am very upset to say the least..
Janice
These Officers involved need to be fired & prosecuted!x
Typical of some SCUMBAGS in law enforcement. This is what happens when GOVERNMENT comes and demands that you give up some rights (gun ownership for one) for the sake of security. There is absolutely no excuse for the deputies actions. ALL the deputies involved should be charged with assault & battery as well as sexual assault and if convicted, serve their time in the general population of a state prison.
I was thoroughly disgusted to see how this young woman was treated.Did anybody try to listen to her? Last time I checked police officers were " Serve To Protect" not " Serve To Disrespect"! These officers should be dealt with appropriately. Pull the badges and weapons. A desk job sounds pretty fair. Along with some required class credit hours on dealing with citizens in a compassionate manner. Especially a woman who obviously was distrought upon their arrival. And shame on you women officers!!!!! From one woman to another, would you not be terrified? Why didn't you stand up and take control of the situation and help a fellow female? Every woman is somebodies wife, mother, daughter, sister, etc. How would any of these officers feel to see someone they love being treated in this manner? I can't believe that my tax dollars are paying for this kind of brutality. This family will be scarred for life!! Thanks to our ever faithful " Serve and Disrespect " GOD BLESS THE STEFFEYS J&R in CANTON
Anyone defending the actions of these officers obviously hasn't seen this video.That was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen and it actually brought tears to my eyes to see it.God Bless her for having the courage to come forward and demand the sheriff's department and the officers involved be held accountable.Shame on them for this obvious abuse of power.And to the person that says she was disorderly at the scene,remember she was the victim that called for help!I would be disorderly too if I called 911 for help and was treated like a criminal.
I hope the Steffeys end up being OK after this ordeal.The Sheriff and those deputies need to serve some time, as well as have some major drainage in their financial holdings and status.
The sheriff denied that was a strip search? Is he serious?
The sheriff and the police are liars and obviously abused their powers. These "police" need to be prosecuted, fired and jailed.
These Officers both the men and women officers should be jailed.
The county and city should pay a heavy price for allowing this behavior by their police department.
That video made me cringe it was so disturbing. Watching the police tear her clothes off was more disturbing then watching the islamic extremists beheading the men in iraq a few years ago. What has America come to? This is not an isolated incident, look into the militarization of our police forces. America is becoming a Police state.
TERMINATED and criminal charges should be brought for misuse of their authority.
I feel sorry for this lady and hope she can recover and the police will be punished.
My friend slapped her husband after he pushed her twice one evening and he called the police and she was the one that was arrested. The police asked her if she slapped him and she said she did (protecting herself) and they didn't ask what he did to get slapped. She was not read her rights until she was in jail in Stark County. And she now has a criminal record and can't find a good job in her field of education.
That was rape as surely as if they had penetrated her. These "officer" are a disgrace to the uniform and should be prosecuted. If they want to make the point that it is dangerous to call 911 in Ohio then they have done their job.
Dont thous cops have anything better to do. so thay picked on that poor lady . all thous cops stuck together .thay should all pay together. just becouse there cops dont mene there good cops ! I hope the lady has a good attorny !the tape says it all .
Matt said, "I have never seen such irresponsible reporting in my entire life. If you are unable to acquire only one side of a story, especially one of this nature, you should not be reporting on it. How dare you . . . ."
Unbelievable. Did you read the story? Channel 3 contacted the sheriff, and he responded by e-mail. He got to have his say. Just because his answer was weak and unpersuasive doesn't mean the media should just forget the story.
If we followed your view, the government could always decline to comment to avoid embarrassment. There would then be only one side available to the media and there would therefore be no story. But that's what you want, right?
Please, be honest: you just don't like people questioning the police or the government, right?
Feel free to clarify whether you believe in (a) liberty and (b) keeping a close watch on the institution (government) best equipped to take it away.
You people will eat your words when the Stark County Sheriffs office gets to tell their side. As you people sit in the comfort of your homes and those deputies spending their time making sure the type of disorderly such as this criminal are off the street and that she does not kill herself while in jail. Why has not anybody asked about the suicide policy for correctional institutions? You all make it sound like their was not a supervisor their telling them what to do. Deputies and officers follow orders from their superiors and you are basing everything off of some partial information and story your hearing about and jumping on the band wagon of bashing hardworking people keeping you safe. Shame on you Channel 3, I hope all law enforcement boycotts your station and those deputies sue your station for defamation of character for your senseless reporting. If she would have kept her clothes and hung herself you would still make a story of that and find some other policy that you would say they violated! I am ashamed of the people bashing these officers and hope that you never cry out for help for an officer. One person with bad information and a sob story and your going to degrade some officers? You are all going to owe these officers an apology.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens more often than most people realize. Thanks to the 'thin blue line' and an 'us against them' attitude, the perpetrators almost always get away with it. As often as not, the jackbooted thugs are actually *promoted* for their actions. Welcome to the American Police State. Unless and until the citizenry at large wakes up enough to notice- and then proceeds to take the steps necessary to regain our freedom and dignity, these incidents will continue to occur- with ever increasing frequency.
Personally, I think the founders of this country had the right idea when they chose to tar and feather the minions of King George when they were caught abusing the populace. Now that we find ourselves under the reign of George The Third, maybe it's time to requisition a little of that $100/bbl crude and put it to good use.
Come on. The opportunity to beat up, humiliate and dominate someone else IS the non-cash portion of this low-wage job. If they couldn't mistreat suspects for kicks most cops would go back to pumping gas or sweeping floors.
Humiliating others, especially other men, is the spice of life for these guys. Just watch the video to get an idea of how much "fun" they are having.
Has anyone that has left a comment been in these officers shoes? Know what they deal with on a daily basis? I'm gonna guess no. First off, they were not doing a "Strip search"...they were stripping her down because of being a possible suicide risk. And just because she is screaming that she is "cooperating", doesnt mean she is. Most people that resist arrest and similar acts of resisting generally yell things like "I'm cooperating" and "I'm not resisting" when in reality they are. They scream that hoping some gulible person is going to hear that and immeadiately take their side not knowing the whole circumstance. Obviously in this case, it worked. Its so easy for people to sit back and hate the police. Police officers are not perfect and neither are you. Normal people being held to extraordinary standards. Life changing decisions that have to be made on the fly. Can any of you say you do that on a daily basis? Again, I'm going to guess no.... So before you sit and judge and heckle about something, just remember, you dont know the whole situation. Just that 1% you saw... If these deputies did anything wrong, they should go to a judicial court, not the court of public opinion. I think most people would agree that they would want the same for themselves.
It sounds like these public "servants" couldn't get it right from the beginning!! She leans on a police officer AFTER she's the victim of an attack and she is hauled off to jail?? What is wrong with that officer? Does Stark County not properly train their officers to deal with emotional victims?
Now on to the stripping down of her and leaving her nude for 6 HOURS... Everyone who was in that room shold be filed with sexual assault and other assault charges. They violated their own policies even if it was a strip search, which they said it wasn't. Additionally, I have never heard of someone having ALL their clothes removed for their "safety". Shoelaces, jewlery, yes. Their panties, bra, pants and shirt??? NO!! And if such items are removed, they are replaced with appropriate clothing or at least a blanket for modesty!!
They degraded her, humiliated her...it WAS RAPE without penetration. I hope they are fired and charged and I hope Stark County has to compensate her with an enormous amount of money for her ordeal.
Good grief.
I'm sad to say that this woman is ultimately responsible for what happened to her. Police don't know her. When police respond to a call they don't know anything about the people on scene. Frankly having a drivers license that doesn't belong to you is a crime. Presenting it to an officer as your identification is all the officer needs to take it from you. It was not her right to have it. It would seem that she didn't have the good sense to realize being arrested is a big deal. When asked if she ever thought about hurting herself a joke was not the appropriate response. Again, the police are not your friends. They don't know you. As far as they're concerned they have someone in their custody who is likely to harm themselves. They acted accordingly. It is tragic that this had to happen to this woman. I believe that there is a lesson to be learned but it is not for the police department. It is for the public. The police are not your mother and father. Treat them accordingly.
I can’t tell what he pigs did to this woman. I would want to be objective, but with wkyc not allowing audio to be played, how would I know? (The next site over, my audio sounds just fine btw). As usual, the msm is complicit with egregious acts of injustice against the citizens it holds in contempt.
I just had the link to this video sent to me & I am in utter shock, disgust, & outrageous anger. If the officer on the scene was that "confused", then obviously we have an intelligence (meaning IQ) & competency problem with who they are hiring in law enforcement. For anyone to forcibly completely strip someone for their own "safety" is such a ridiculous statement, it's not even a bad joke - it's them trying to come up with anything they can to get us to accept their illegal, immoral, & indecent, ugly power-tripping behavior. Do they honestly think we are to believe she would kill herself with her own underwear? Absolutely insulting, not only to her, but to us - as if we, the public who support them & pay for their "services", are going to believe that crap!
To anyone who thinks this type of behavior is acceptable, let me know & I'll immediately come over with some thugs & we'll smash your face in the ground & strip your ass butt naked in front of anyone & everyone who wants to check your ugly ass out! Then we'll leave you there in the cold for a few hours. Anyone who approves of this type of behavior should receive it!!
"This is NOT America"!!! This is a POLICE STATE & PEOPLE HAD BETTER START THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST POWER CRAZED MANIACS IN GOVERNMENT!!
I hope these officers get what they deserve. If there is a law where the same sex must strip search then why were there men? The officers can’t explain this can they? They were wrong for what they did and they know they were. I hope the sheriff also receives some punishment for allowing his officers to act the way they did. They were wrong for taking her close and leaving her in a cell with no clothes.
I am a law abiding citizen who has never been arrested, but after having to deal with cops myself, the stories other people have told me, and stories like these in the press have made me lose all respect for police enforcement. They are cocky SOB's who believe that they are above the law and can do whatever they want. I have almost been killed by cops who can't wait at a red light like the rest of us and I have been treated like garbage when I have done nothing wrong. I also believe that whoever decided to give cops tasers should be shot. I am so sick of the videos and stories of people being needlessly electrocuted because they don't move fast enough for the officer or aren't responding correctly because of a medical problem. Yeah they were good in theory, but they are abused by these police officers. Maybe if examples are made of the offending officers, it'll keep other officers in line. I hope Mrs. Steffy gets to see every last one of those officers arrested and get treated like a prisoner themselves. Who is policing our police?!?!?
Becca
I am usually a very pro-law enforcement person but seeing this video made me sick to my stomach.
This woman's civil rights were violated and she should sue everyone involved in that assault. Wearing a uniform does NOT give you the right to abuse a person.
She deserves justice.
Welcome to the Culture of Abu Ghraib. The chickens have come home to roost. If you don't fight back now, don't be surprised when you get the same treatment after government surveillance of your internet activities.
Those who have posted about the initial incident leading to the arrest have to take a breath, and think for a moment. The situation on the scene is ugly, people are yelling, the civilians there are highly agitated, possibly as a result of alcohol or just anger after a fight had just ocurred, and the deputies arriving have their hands full trying to sort out the facts. Think about watching a Cops episode, where everyone is yelling and no one is making sense. So the Deputy asks for ID and is given someone elses, and you can bet that she must have gotten a bit mouthy, thus subsequently arrested, since the scene had to be calmed. I am sure that if she had been asked for ID, and if had even given the wrong one, had she been calm, cordial and cooperative maybe the entire incident would not have happened. Please read my post above, and understand , I am not taking a side, as there are two sides to every story, BUT, the last thing any Deputy or city copper wants to do is have to make an arrest, versus calming a situation and going about his or her business, safely for the rest of the shift. And, as my previous post said, I did not condone the way she was stripped, when that jail garb can be just as dangerous as one's own garments. One that agitated, until she calmed down should have been observed on a one to one to ensure that she did not harm herself, while wearing her own clothes, versus having to fight with her.
Of all police abuse, this is the worst I have seen. The one man in the video is huge. They needed 7 people? This one woman must have been too tough for them.
The officers need to have this done to their wives as they are forced to watch, then fired, then sued of all their assets. The sheriff needs to have the same thing done.
I wouldn't normally condone this, but these officers need to be shamed in public and driven from the country. Perhaps they can be police in a nice 3rd world country where that is normal police tactics. I will bet that a lot of officers in Stark county have pictures of that woman nude on their cell phone cameras.
People who are going to be stopped for any reason in Stark county should continue driving until they reach a county other than Stark county. If they can't make it out of the county, then they should barricade themselves in their car until a news crew arrives and demand a lawyer be present when they are eventually taken into custody.
Furthermore, Stark county and all it's businesses should be boycotted until their sheriff has been replaced.
If possible, drive around Stark county.
These officers are terrible people. This story is horrifying and the people who did this to this poor woman should be fired and jailed!
Boy...I agree...and then some. These people should be made an example of, found guilty of all acts of violence toward Hope, sentenced and jailed highest extent of the law, WITH NO HOPE FOR PARDON OR EARLY RELEASE, this should be in their personal files and guarantee their files will never be sealed. IF the Judge or other court officers FAIL Hope, locals should have him disbarred, DA on down the line.
I'm not sure it will help but I've emailed every group and person I could think of who would be interested in helping Hope and 'hope-fully' will have this spread in every newspaper possible. Now let's pressure the censors or expose them.
This is the reason I left the law enforcement field, I know Sheriff Swanson and I am praying he is staying silent to think with a clear head about what he should honestly do. I was unable to sleep after seeing this and told my children about it. What I hated the most was not only th video but the laugh from a female as they were leaving the cell. Did you hear it? Listen again. They might want to move the Hall of Fame now. I am not in any hurry to go to Stark County now.
This is one of the reasons I left the field of law enforcement. I believe in Sheriff Swanson and am praying that he does the right thing. This was clearly the wrong thing. I have put people in a cell by themselves until they calm down with serviellance and then worked with them. It was not necessary to overpower and humiliate Mrs. Steffey, male officers, wrong, wrong, wrong, definetly against protocol. Shame upon the OC in charge at the time. May want to rethink a new location for Hall of Fame (Shame). Officers on leave? Tell us something to keep the faith in the system. I was apalled with the video and the laugh of a female I heard as the male officers were the last to leave the cell. Listen again to the end, hear the laughing?? discussting.
You won't see me in Stark County. Told my family, warned them too! Pray this works out. Very sad.
Based on what I've seen and read so far, this seems to be a case of Cops out of control. I know they have a tough job and deal with a lot of stress and some people can be pretty obnoxious, but a 125 pound woman??? If I give them the benefit of doubt and grant that they were concerned about her hurting herself with her clothing I have to wonder what else was going on. In this day and age don't most of us take care to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" to c.y.a.? Why else would the video cam be running? Yet to leave her for 6 hours without even a paper gown?
Its all too easy for me to imagine what has happened in the past with cops who are racist / bigoted and prisoners who were easy victims and didn't get the video tape proof of the abuse. I know a lot, perhaps most of the "abuse" charges are bogus, but the next time you hear someone claim abuse, think about Hope Steffey.
I wonder how the local tax payers will feel about having to pay for this sex crime.
Let us hope that this case sets a precedent for HONEST investigations of these typical examples of what is seriously wrong with law enforcement in the U.S.
As an American and human being, this disgusts me to know end.
And, I am a guy.
Everyone involved in this incident and involved in the coverup of this incident needs to be fired and charged with the appropriate crimes. This is not what I want my country to be... this is not what the founders had in mind. It is not what any citizen of this nation has in mind. This is abuse of power.
I can only tell you that as a husband and the father of a daughter, the male deputies would need to be in fear for their lives had this been my wife or daughter. I will never spend another tourism dollar in the state of Ohio, regardles of the outcome in this case. This is unforgiveable.
All of the deputies involved and the sheriff should be fired, and the deputies should be prosecuted for every crime they committed. Their actions were not only wrong but also unreasonable. It looks like a deputy got his nose out of joint and all the others, including the sheriff, went along to cover it up. They had the power to do this and abused that power.
that town needs desperatly a whole new police dept. from top down including prosecutors. they all belong in jail for a very long time...this is disgusting and sick. i am ashamed for that town and its people. police are out of control. that film proves it. who polices the police? call in the federal govt.and aclu. nothing can undo what was done to that woman.
Watching this video made me outraged and sick to my stomach. If the woman appeared 'disorderly' on video she had a right to be! She was having her clothes forceably taken from her! She had the presence of mind to ask what they(the deputies)were doing which indicates to me she was not having a suicidal moment. I hope this matter and the law enforcement agency is investigated.
This is just of an known example that police departments are out of control, acting like the wild west and not there To Protect and Serve. I am Retired Army and have seen better practices by Third World countries, Wake up America, you vote these people in who control these folks. Do your job and make them do theirs.
There is no justification for the way these officers treated this woman. Why didn't one of the officers have the sense to question their handling of the situation. It's unbelievable the prosecutor, attorney general or some higher authority hasn't stepped in to investigate. Keep up the good work channel 3!
Don't just sue, file felony charges against police:
http://piratenews.org/affidavit-criminal-complaint13jun05.htm
5 TN deputies arrested, convicted and sent to federal prison for torture
http://piratenews.org/tortured-by-copsters-in-tn.html
How to deal with crooked copsters: The Battle of Athens TN 1946
http://www.constitution.org/mil/tn/batathen.htm
Ron Paul asks Congress: "Are We Doomed to Be a Police State?"
http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2002/cr062702.htm
O K... I've taken a look at the video and do not see any police "brutality" anywhere.
Of course all of the arm chair quarterbackers know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ms. Steffey was not under the influence of anything intoxicating, she did not yell at or become combative with the officers at the scene of the original disturbance, she of course complied with all of the requests that were made of her by the officers such as 'please take off your clothes so you will no be able to attempt to kill yourself' after of course she didn't make any statements to the effect that she would harm herself.
What I saw on that video was an out of control female who was handcuffed and screaming after obviously not complying with some requests or orders from the sheriffs deputies.
Kudos to the officers who put up with her spoiled and childish actions.
Additionaly my wife would not be in that situation, because she has enough common sense not to get involved in a fight with some of her trailer trash relatives and be in need of a Jerry Springer style intervention!!
Wake up people... act like an adult and you won't go to jail in the first place!
I can see no circumstance that might warrant this kind of force. If the woman were violent and the officers feared she was dangerous, an appropriate search might have been done. why would anyone be humiliated and denied clothing? A prison issue suiIt or at least a blanket was the very least this poor woman deserved. i am glad this brave family came forward. I am glad that channel 3 told the story and is taking a stand about what police can and can NOT do. I can't imagine this would be acceptable by Geneva convention standards for a POW. I hope that the victim heals and remembers this horrific series of actions against her says alot about those who committed them and NOT about her. I wonder why no one present during this attack/search was able to muster the courage to step back and say, hey guys let's re-think this. i am very certain that more video was shot. It is amazing that they were able to get away with the lame excuse that the dash cam was turned off. I hope the guilty parties pay their due.
I was sickened to see what happened to Mrs.Steffey, but NOT suprised. I hope this story causes more people to start paying attention before it happens to their own family. CIVIL RIGHTS
ARE BEING VIOLATED more often than most people would imagine. And please note that it is not limited to the Stark Co. Sheriff's Dept.
I am a 45 year old married, mother of 4 who was wrongfully arrested (for disorderly conduct persisting in my own living room.)AFTER police illegaly entered our home. I was thrown around and hurt at the police dept. by law enforcement while in handcuffs.I was totally compliant and addressed them as "SIR"
(I had never even had a speeding ticket.)
We fired our first lawyer,because we learned that "Local" police, prosecutors,judges, AND lawyers all play together,in the same sandbox.
We hired a huge civil rights att.outside of Lorain Co.We spent thousands to fight this simple charge because every action by the police that night was illegal. Charges against me were DISMISSED
in exchange for my right to sue. Unfortunately, in my case there were supposedly NO TAPES! (Why would police and prosecutors need protection from a lawsuit if there was no misconduct?) My attorney encouraged me to accept the offer. Reason being that in his experience theres only a 30% chance a jury will believe a citizen over police.(The tape of Mrs. Steffey being "assaulted" is visual proof, and you still have law enforcement and some people denying it.) My husband, myself and our kids have been forever altered.(I suffer from anxiety, neck, and back damage. My husband struggles with the knowledge of what happened to his wife & kids , in his own house.He has had to live with the fact that he could NOT protect us.) I KNOW MR.& Mrs.Steffey are suffering, my heart aches WITH them. Counseling can help. Unfortunatly, people like us can't ever again feel safe or free because we CAN'T unlearn what we know. Who do we call if we need help? And to those in law enforcement that are offended with being lumped together with the bad, I have as much sympathy for you, as you do for citizens that you see being mistreated by your co-workers and do nothing. Blame them! TO SERVE & PROTECT???
BULL! They are the ones I fear!
The STARK CO. Sheriff's looked like a pack of wild animals.
The attack on MRS.Steffey was worse than rape because everywhere she goes she will see law enforcement of some kind and THEY ARE HER NIGHTMARE.
BEST WISHES TO THE STEFFEY'S
Why do we always assume that the officers did something wrong? How do we know that she was being cooperative? I for one do not condone the action of the officers but they do have a job to do and they live by a different set of work rules then we do.
They need to be the ones in control not the inmates.
We somebody says that she was being cooperative and that she was forced to do something against her will then we shall be free to judge the officers.
Thank you Tom Meyer for bringing this story to our attention. No matter WHAT Steffy did (or didn't do), this was a blatant abuse of power. Personally, I remember waiting at the airport for over 10 minutes until a FEMALE officer was able perform a random search. I gladly waited. It would have been incredibly invasive for a male officer to do a search (with clothes ON), not to mention illegal. I hope these officers are stripped of their badges.
Watching that video made me sick. It seems like we are having more and more of incidents like this coming out of Ohio (i.e. Warren police). I don't care what she was doing, there is no excuse for the treatment she received.
It's easy for the "facts" to get lost in the fog when there's a videotape like this floating around. The police can say a hundred times "there's more to it than is shown on the videotape", but it won't erase the images from the publics' minds. The Sheriff can get out his checkbook and get ready to write a huge one. The sad thing about that is that even if the officers are "disciplined" (which can mean just about anything), the taxpayers are ultimately responsible for the hit the Sheriff is going to take. The Sheriff needs to get in front of this, even at this late date, and announce an independent investigation but it's probably too late once the tv news people have the upper hand and your strongest defense is "we'll wait and tell our story in court." Good luck, sheriff, you're going to need it.
The husband should wait for the court to give his wife justice and handle the problem.
If the court does not administer justice he should wait a year and find his own justice 1 with each officer 1 at a time.
Just because you wear a uniform does not give you the right to do what you want.... Policemen and women have hard jobs.. .. but these men and women deserve to be beated with baseball bats..
it doesn't have to be this way folks,
yes, we need people who can help when they're needed. People who will help when we're the victim of a crime or accident. And yes, people who will keep us from causing anyone else to be a victim.
BUT WE DON'T NEED THIS
Remember we employ these folks. We pay their checks and buy them medical insurance. And WE support them and their families when they retire.
If that doesn't work, we still have our strength. We have our numbers who still believe in goodness. Goodness must prevail over tyranny, and what we saw was tyranny, and yes, it was rape.
We can not hesitate at this time. Please watch this and ensure ALL involved are charged and convicted. And who is responsible? Every single person who participated or stood by idly while this crime was committed. If justice is not served for this woman, it will not be served for us either. If we do not ensure justice is served for this woman, we are not worthy of justice ourselves.
Watch this. Don't ignore it anymore, it's not to late for us.
And Please remember, violence is to be avoided when any other choice remains... but only when another choice remains. It's that serious.
This appalling video is a perfect illustration of the absolute power that police officers have over citizens in their custody. Whether or not you have been charged with a crime, you are entitled to be treated humanely and with dignity.
Where is the dignity in having male officers remove the clothing of a handcuffed woman? Are we really expected to accept the excuse that removing her clothing was for her own protection? Why is the Sheriff's first instinct to defend his officers' conduct, especially after having viewed the video? Wouldn't it be more appropriate for him to simply state that the incident is being investigated?
Police officers already have an inherent power and control over the freedom of citizens. Because of that power, police officers need to be trained and cognizant of the awesome responsibility to NEVER ABUSE THAT POWER. After all, whom can you call when the police are imposing the abuse? Who are we more inclined to believe - the citizen in handcuffs being charged with disorderly conduct or the uniformed officer employed to serve and protect us?
When there is an abuse of power (as this video illustrates), or even a claim of abuse of power, there should be an independent review board afforded the authority to freely investigate police misconduct. The police department cannot and should not be entrusted to determine the outcome of such misconduct claims.
Allow me to clarify that in no way do I believe all police officers abuse their power. I am sure there are officers who are sickened by what this video shows. I only wish we would hear more police officers speaking out against this type of abhorrent behavior. Their silence only serves to condone this unacceptable treatment of citizens in police custody.
The egregious abuse of police power displayed in this video should make all of us painfully aware of just how vulnerable we are to suffering abuse and humiliation at the hands of the very people who have sworn to serve and protect us.
Unfortunately, this is by no means an isolated incident. Until we citizens stand up and demand oversight of police officer misconduct claims, the abuse of power will continue unabated.
I shudder to think of the indignities committed by police officers for which there is no video proof. Before you erase this video from your memory, please remind yourself that the next victim of police misconduct could be yourself or a loved one.
They kidnapped, assaulted, and raped the lady. They need to go to jail for varying amounts of time. The Sheriff lied and covered up. Fire him and charge him as accessory-after-the-fact.
Someone needs to over that verdict against the woman as well.
As a former Law enforcement officer, this was going way to far and was abuse of power. The defense will be that this is "Policey" or that they were only dong their jobs. That is what the criminals said from the german SS division when brought to trial for their torture and killings. They were only following orders. Wearing a uniform does not mean they are not criminals.They have a moral duty to know right from wrong.Total power can also result in total abuse of it.These officers need to be arrested. I am in Florida and hope the rest of the nation see's this disgraceful conduct.
Sure, they need to be prosecuted. Few would argue once seeing the video. But will a jury be allowed to really see even this much video, let alone the rest of the edited out part?
The good ole boys' club does a fine job at protecting its finest. And when they look for a jury, they gotta find someone under the auspices who isn't already biased because they saw this video. Nope, can't have that. The jury might have an opinion!
My opinion is prison time will give each officer a new feeling of what protection is and isn't. And serving or receiving "service" will take on a whole new meaning too. I just wish I could see the trial and their faces as they depart in their new duds.
That's it from Alaska!
An absolute outrage. Those police, and their supervisors should be prosecuted and this poor woman deserves restitution.
Unbelievable!
i can not even see it on the website channel 3 sucks
there we go another good example of what our swine department gets away with all the time.its time we the people take on the justice system and their brainless law enforcers,who take matters into there on hands.this is due to no respect for anyone other than therir own swine kind,this will be stopped,we the people need to form a league much greater than swine department that will eradicate any such bs from our justice system,that includes judges,prosecutors,attorny..and the supreme courts that allow such things to happen,then allow every one to make bucks off the issue.and a lot of the blame is to be put on the morons who train them to carry on in such ways.WE THE PEOPLE STAND FOR NO MORE SWINE,WE WANT REAL .POLICE OFFICERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.TO SERVE AND PROTECT not police wanna be. we have no room in our society for more law breaking scum,like these seen in those videos.WE THE PEOPLE CAN NO LONGER TRUST OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT,AND SHALL MAKE THEM DUE TIME FOR SUCH IGNORANCE,INCLUDING NEVER WORKING FOR ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY,including security,and we need to go back and dig up history of all these officersand their track record in society. time has come to end all the bs in all law enforcement.over the years i along with millions of other americans will no longer tolerate such bs.theres no trust...not to mention they can twist and make any issue the want out of anything to protect their own kind.75% of the police wanna bees are worse the our general society of crooks,but went and got a badge so the can be legal at crimes..
This can happen to anyone by a law enforcement person. Let's hop that Hope gets her say in court and the deputies are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law the criminal they are.
I can't believe there are people defending the police. What is wrong with you people? There is no excuse--NO excuse for the way she was treated. It makes no difference that she freaked out or "resisted". These cops, at best, are clueless about how to handle people. At worst, they are criminal tyrants and should be fired--especially the males.
The Officer involved should be given accommodation letters for showing such restraint. The female in question put herself in that position.
This is an outrage- These deputies should be fired and prosecuted. What bothers me as well is the people responding believing this treatment was warrented. Also, it is scary to think we would probably not even hear about this story if not for the reporting of Tom Meyer. Well Done!