Stephanie Bottom, of Atlanta, Georgia, was driving to the funeral of her great aunt in May 2019 when she was seen by police allegedly going 80mph in a 70mph zone. She appeared in court for the traffic violations, pleaded responsible to failure to heed blue lights, and the other charges against her were dismissed, according to the lawsuit. PO Box 309 A 68-year-old Black woman has filed a After the search, officers told Bottom to stand, but she said she couldn't due to the pain in her shoulder, according to the suit. When they grabbed me and threw me to the ground, thats when the real terror struck me that I was going to die. Officers had their sirens on for at least 10 minutes, according to body camera footage that is cited in the lawsuit and was reviewed by CNN. WBTV reported the city of Salisbury, North Carolina provided a statement about the case: The Salisbury Police Department strives for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where we may suspect criminal activity. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Artemis Moshtaghian, Melissa Alonso and Amanda Jackson, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7. Bottom was peaceful at all times, and officers knew they were dealing with an elderly woman,' said Ian Mance, a lawyer with EmancipateNC who represents Bottom. WebWho is Stephanie Bottom? Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunts funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. By Stephanie Hubler | Feb. 23 Send North Carolina Video shows NC police grabbing 66-year-old librarian by hair, pulling her from car By Ames Alexander. Stephanie Bottom, of Atlanta, Georgia, was driving to the funeral of her great aunt in May 2019 when she was seen by police allegedly going 80mph in a 70mph Ms. Bottom wasnt even arrested.. Jacob Blake Files Excessive Force Lawsuit Against Kenosha Officer Who Fired Shot That Paralyzed Him, Virginia Police Officer Fired After Shooting Pepper Spray on Army Lieutenant at Traffic Stop, Town Says, Roderick Walker Case: White Deputy Fired After Being Seen Punching Black Man During Traffic Stop, Man Suing for 'Excessive Force' After Police Break Windshield with Suspects Head. Ms. Bottom wasnt even arrested. According to an ABC 7 News article, Bottom appeared in court for the traffic violations, pleaded responsible to failure to heed blue lights, and the other charges against her were dismissed, according to the lawsuit.. He took a job with federal law enforcement in February 2020, according to Linda McElroy, a spokesperson for the city of Salisbury. Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunt's funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. In the footage, Bottom is seen screaming as Benfield, Barkalow, and Salisbury Police Officer Adam Bouk force her to lay face down on the ground, according to the lawsuit. 8. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.. Some of those images can be seen immediately below: Bottom alleges the group of officers arrested her unreasonably when they grabbed [her] by her hair and threw her from her Toyota Sequoia to the ground., As a result, the librarian claims, she was seriously injured due to the excessive force of the arrest, which resulted in a tear to her rotator cuff in her shoulder. This injury, according to the lawsuit, required surgery, permanently scarring and limiting the use of [Bottoms] shoulder.. A more recent docket listing Maam, there were three police cars behind you for about 10 miles, one of the officers replied. The just-released body cam video Once it became clear they wanted her to pull over she was afraid and was looking for a safe place to pull over, Holmes told CNN in an email. WebYou can view 1 entry, complete with personal details, location history, phone numbers, relatives and locations for Stephanie Love. Our complaint alleges these officers had no reason to use any force, much less the level of force they employed. When Bottom didn't immediately pull over, one of the officers making the traffic stop identified in the lawsuit as Salisbury Police Officer Devin Barkalow made statements recorded by his body camera that Bottom was a "f**king retard" and a "douche bag," according to the body camera footage. The then-66-year-old librarian from Fulton County, Georgia, was listening to music and didn't initially see the flashing blue lights coming from the police vehicle behind her, Holmes said. She said she also experienced extreme terror. 6:10 AM EDT, Wed April 28, 2021, Police pull Black woman by hair, injure her shoulder in traffic stop. The clip which has been released after Bottom filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday begins with Deputy Mark Benfield approaching Bottoms car with his gun drawn before grabbing her hair and dragging her to the ground. The Charlotte Observer reported Stephanie Bottom, an Atlanta native and librarian, filed her lawsuit on April 21 and claimed a group of white officers used excessive force when they pulled her over. It also claims that the officers congratulated one other for their work and an officer identified in the lawsuit as Barkalow is heard bragging about grabbing a handful of dreads, saying at that point she earned it.. 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Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. AGE. were aware of her general age based on their radio communications. CNN has reached out to Rowan County Sheriffs Department for comment but has not yet heard back. Download our newest episodes now! 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Access this case on the North Carolina Middle District Court's Electronic Court Filings (ECF) System. The Gamecocks responded in the bottom of the seventh with sacrifice plays by Petry and sophomore catcher Talmadge LeCroy. According to the lawsuit, the police grabbed the then 66-year-old by her hair, and threw her to the ground resulting in a torn rotator cuff. Bottom says. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much WebThe woman, Stephanie Bottom of Atlanta, who is Black, said she was driving to a funeral and posing no threat to the officers when they stopped her on Interstate 85 for driving 80 mph in a 70 mph zone. A subscription to PACER is required. It's unclear how close police were to Bottom's vehicle before she pulled over, as the footage only shows the inside of the police vehicle and the sky. Bottom was listening to music while driving to her auntie funeral during the time and didnt [Law enforcements] decision ultimately to release her to medical care, instead of keeping her in police custody, demonstrates that he initial decision to take her into custody was unreasonable.. Posted by 10 months ago. Our complaint alleges these officers had no reason to use any force, much less the level of force they employed, attorney Ian Mance told the Observer. An elderly black librarian was viciously yanked out of her car by her hair by a white officer and held at gunpoint during a traffic stop in North Carolina, newly released bodycam footage shows. CNN has reached out to Rowan County Sheriff's Department for comment but has not yet heard back. the officer responds. 'Our complaint alleges these officers had no reason to use any force, much less the level of force they employed. 'White privilege and entitlement:' NC city official fired after refusing to address woman by doctoral title. According to the lawsuit against Salisbury Police Department and the Rowan County Sheriffs Office, Bottom, who was then 66-years old, did not know she was going about 10 mph more than the speed limit. Officers Barkalow and Adam Bouk and Deputy Mark Benfield then quickly approached with their guns drawn. Police pull Black woman by hair, injure her shoulder in traffic stop. The fourth officer named in the lawsuit is Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. Do you live in the next East Palestine? Within seconds of the stop, cops are seendragged her out of the car by her hair, and pulling her arm behind her back to handcuff her, all while she screams out in pain. Traveling north on I-85, she eventually noticed the blue lights of a Sheriff Deputys vehicle and began looking for a safe area to pull over, according to her lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday. Here's why. [emailprotected]. Get notified of updates. 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