The 68-year-old says initially did not realize that cops were trying to stop her, and that their aggressive actions when she pulled over left her with injuries including a tornrotator cuff. A black librarian was dragged by her hair and yanked out of her car at a traffic stop in North Carolina, newly released bodycam footage has revealed.Stephanie Bottom, then 66, was driving her car to Raleigh for her great aunts funeral on 30 May, 2019 when, Salisbury police and Rowan County sheriff deputies attempted to pull her over for 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. The officers pulled Bottoms arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. Please go to our website under Attorney Information for a list of mediators which must be served on all parties. WebBlack librarian Stephanie Bottom pulled by hair, injured by police in Salisbury, North Carolina, lawsuit says. The post 68-year-old woman sues NC police for violent traffic stop recorded on body camera appeared first on TheGrio. TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. According to the lawsuit, Bottom did not believe she was driving fast and did not think the police were trying to stop her. Stephanie Workman, Age 52 Remove Record. This docket was last retrieved on June 15, 2021. She also was charged with speeding and resisting arrest but those were dismissed. Phone Number: Bottom had surgery for her injury, but is no longer able to raise her left arm above her head according to the suit. Emancipate NC attorney Ian Mance is representing Bottom in a lawsuit seeking damages for excessive force, co-counseling with the Civil Clinic at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Meanwhile, the Salisbury Police Department did not comment on the pending litigation but stated that it strives for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where we may suspect criminal activity., Get the Latest Black News and Press Releases In Your Email FREE, Your Once on the ground, officers twisted Bottom's arm behind her back, causing her 'shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury,' the lawsuit said. 2. Bottom begins crying and asks what she's done wrong as officers tell her she is under arrest, although it turns out she was never formally arrested. When they grabbed me and threw me to the ground, thats when the real terror struck me that I was going to die.'. We've been following you for about 10 miles, an officer responds. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's side door, the officers grabbed Bottom by her arm and hair and pulled her from her vehicle to the ground, according to body camera footage. Meanwhile, officers search her car, which Bottom alleges she didn't consent for, Officers are then seen using their force to get Bottom to put her arms behind her back. Phone Number: Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. One of the officers named in the lawsuit, Barkalow, declined to comment, but said he no longer works for the police department. Web22 records for Stephanie Bottoms. 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. She is hard working, hard charging and highly professional. 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. Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. CNN has reached out to Rowan County Sheriffs Department for comment but has not yet heard back. 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. 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I wasn't running. Black librarian Stephanie Bottom pulled by hair, injured by police in Salisbury, North Carolina, lawsuit says. The actions of officers who abuse their power makes it hard for individuals to trust law enforcement. As is standard, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.. Bottom said all of the arresting officers were white. "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. (Hicks, Samantha). WebBlack librarian Stephanie Bottom pulled by hair, injured by police in Salisbury, North Carolina, lawsuit says. She claimed she had her music turned up and couldnt hear the police sirens behind her. 'White privilege and entitlement:' NC city official fired after refusing to address woman by doctoral title. Another officer involved in the traffic stop, only identified as Officer Smith, pulled ahead of Bottom and deployed spike strips that immediately immobilized her vehicle, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit said she was listening to music loudly in her car at that time and she did not immediately realize she was being pulled over. Download our newest episodes now! The No. The video shows Stephanie Bottom, 66, repeatedly pleading with Salisbury police officers and Rowan County sheriffs deputies to tell her why they stopped her on Interstate 85 as she was traveling to her aunts funeral in Raleigh in May 2019. Have a tip we should know? 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. Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Bottom, an Atlanta librarian and grandmother of five, was driving to North Carolina for a relatives funeral when police stopped her vehicle after it was going 10 "Because I didn't know they were going after me!" 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.. Its unclear how close police were to Bottoms vehicle before she pulled over, as the footage only shows the inside of the police vehicle and the sky. Bottom informed the outlet that her injuries kept her from working for eight months, resulting in a loss of wages. Benfield, Barkalow, and Bouk placed [Bottom] in handcuffs and secured her at the front of her vehicle prior to commencing their search of [Bottoms] vehicle and purse. We found 17 records for people named Stephanie Austin in 17 cities in North Carolina throughout Raleigh, Olin, and 15 more cities! Mark Walhberg is SLAMMED for presenting SAG Award to Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once following his hate crime conviction for assaulting Asian men, Emily Blunt looks incredible in a red figure hugging gown as she cosies up to husband John Krasinski on the red carpet, SAG Awards' best dressed stars! Traveling north on I-85, she eventually noticed the The mainstream narrative that criminalizes Black and Brown people must be transformedso that we can all get free. High Performing in Stroke. Access this case on the North Carolina Middle District Court's Electronic Court Filings (ECF) System. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The local NAACP chapter called for the release of the bodycam footage, a transparent investigation, a review of current policies, creation of new policies, and for the Rowan County Sheriffs office to update its mission statement. Derek Chauvin trial juror details courtroom experience, deliberations: 'You're watching somebody die on a daily basis'. WebFound 17 records for Stephanie Austin in North Carolina. After allegedly pulling her out of her car by her hair, Bottom was left on the ground. A Black woman was allegedly grabbed by the hair and pulled out of her SUV by North Carolina police during a traffic stop in 2019 after she was driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit and failed to stop for law enforcement, according to a civil lawsuit filed last week. During this time, Bouk is heard on the body camera footage saying, Thats good police work baby to other officers, according to the suit. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, Wake-Up Weather: AM showers then mild and breezy, Alliance firefighters investigating blaze that damaged the Main Street Caboose, A look at some of Europe's train disasters in recent times, MorningLine: PACT Act and Veterans Benefits pt1. May 11, 2021 | Criminal Justice Reform, Emancipate NC News, Policing. Stephanie Bottom was admittedly going 10 miles over the speed limit on May 30, 2019 in North Carolina. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle. Body See the links below for more info. the officer responds. The officers pulled Bottom's arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. Bottom says. The officers also say it could've been a simple traffic stop before putting the onus of the current incident on her. 23 South Carolina baseball team continued its unbeaten start to the 2023 season in an 11-3 victory over North Carolina A&T Tuesday afternoon at Founders Park. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. When they grabbed me and threw me to the ground, thats when the real terror struck me that Im going to die.. 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.. Emancipate NC was founded on the knowledge that mass incarceration and structural racism harm all of us. NC governor calls for release of bodycam video in Andrew Brown killing, Police video shows officer using stun gun on handcuffed man, 68-year-old woman sues NC police for violent traffic stop recorded on body camera, A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. As Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Benfield and Barkalow approached her vehicle they had their guns drawn and pointed at her, according to the lawsuit. 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. The force applied by the officers caused Bottoms shoulder to pop, tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury, according to the lawsuit. McElroy also declined to comment on the pending litigation. 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 Officers Barkalow and Bouk picked up by her arms, inflicting additional pain to her shoulder, forced her to stand and put her in the back of a patrol car, according to the lawsuit. Another officer involved in the traffic stop, only identified as Officer Smith, pulled ahead of Bottom and deployed spike strips that immediately immobilized her vehicle, the lawsuit says. She then looked for a safe place to pull over until spike strips were deployed to stop her. SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - The City of Salisbury has responded to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in which a then 66-year-old woman says she was treated violently Police pull Black woman by hair, injure her shoulder in traffic stop. noticed the blue lights of a Sheriff Deputys vehicle. The suit drew coverage from the Washington Post. Current Address: 7200 Orcutt Ave; Newport News, VA 23605-1916. Stephanie Bottom, then 66, was driving her car to Raleigh for her great aunts funeral on 30 May, 2019 when, Salisbury police and Rowan County sheriff Business class plane passenger refuses to give up his seat so a man could sit next to his wife on her birthday - selfish or fair enough? What have I done wrong?. All Rights Reserved. The Atlanta-based librarian was allegedly assaulted by cops in 2019, during a traffic stop. Eventually, Bottom received medical attention at the scene and was taken to the hospital, the lawsuit says. Filter by City. [emailprotected]. The officers, from the Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriffs Department, pulled Bottom over as she drove to a funeral. A Warner Bros. The Gamecocks responded in the bottom of the seventh with sacrifice plays by Petry and sophomore catcher Talmadge LeCroy. She also admits to going 10 miles over the speed limit, which was 70mph, meaning she was driving around 80mph. I did nothing wrong.. 2023 Cable News Network. (919) 682-1149, allegedly driving 80 mph in a 70-mph zone, The four officers involved in the incident, Durham DSS Slow to Reunify Kids with Families, Catch the Latest from Black Light Mass Incarceration Show, Join a Virtual Listening Session on the Harms of Solitary Confinement, RPD Releases Bodycam Footage of Darryl Williams Murder. April 21, 2021 (Screenshot via TheBL/Charlotte Observer video) Officers used unnecessary force on a woman during a traffic stop in North Carolina, according to a federal complaint brought by Georgia 1983. It is an absolute pleasure to know her and have worked with her.. Stephanie Bottom filed a federal lawsuit against NC police claiming officers violated her rights by using excessive force. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. 8. According to WBTV, community members want more from the Salisbury Police and Rowan Sheriff. She later had surgery for the injury, but it did not fully repair the shoulder, according to the lawsuit, and now there is permanent damage. Lawsuit to be filed against police after Calif. man dies while being restrained by police. Police officers then approached her with guns drawn and grabbed her by her arm and hair, pulling her out of her car and throwing her onto the ground. of Idaho. I was getting ready to die, Bottom told the Charlotte Observer. In May 2019, a 68-year-old Black woman named Stephanie Bottom was pulled over by officers from the Rowan County Sheriffs Office and the Salisbury Police The lawsuit alleges that earlier in the stop, Barkalow also said Bottom was a'f*****g retard' and a 'douche bag.'. The suit was filed in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina. 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. A pirate at heart, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Political Science at East Carolina University. Johnston County Schools phase in weapons detection system, Duke Energy Carolinas seeks large rate increases for gas costs, Police salaries not helping fix staffing shortage challenges, Artemis Moshtaghian, Melissa Alonso and Amanda Jackson.