Taser Victim Speaks Out

(CBS/The Early Show)

Today we had an exclusive interview with the 38-year-old mother of two who was repeatedly Tasered by police in the early morning hours of Sept 2. Heidi Gill had been to a wedding and then stopped by a local bar, where she got into a verbal altercation with one of the employees. After being asked to leave, she headed to an SUV where she was planning to wait for one of her friends to drive her home. And, according to video from that night, that's where her ordeal began.

The video shows an officer repeatedly Tasering her and eventually putting her in handcuffs. The police report says she was Tasered seven times, but Heidi told me that it felt continuous over the course of several minutes. She said she feared for her life and was desperate to escape the man who was hurting her -- that he even ceased being police officer in her mind. She was completely terrified. Heidi said she now has trouble with her vision and difficulty sleeping and even playing with her 4-year-old son. It was really sad and disturbing to see her literally shaking and tearing up when we showed the video. You can see our entire interview by clicking here, and we will continue to follow up on this story on The Early Show.

[pgillpatrick]

I was LISTENING to the early show on my radio and the screaming and Heidi Gill''s interview made me so sick to my stomach I was shaking and eventually had to turn it off. I was abused by police years ago and that brought back terrifying memories. But I can imagine even for unaffected viewers of your show that that must have been over-the-top-hard-to-watch. I enjoy CBS news, but hope in the future the Early Show and CBS rise above the temptation to increase viewership using such examples of cruelty, abuse, and pain.

[harmonyfarm]

I turned on the TV this morning and saw the video of the woman being tasered by that police officer and I have never been so outraged in my life. He wasn''t apprehending a criminal...he was torturing that poor woman. He was twice her size and she was acting out of fear for her life. For crying out loud, she was handcuffed and in the back seat of the police car and he still tased her again....if he needs to use that much force to get control of a suspect. He definately needs to get some more police training. He should be fired instantly!!! From the accounts I''ve heard and read of the situation...her biggest offense was drinking too much at that wedding. I''ll be watching carefully to see how this story turns out!

[cdahomes]

Hannah, 14 minutes about a drunk that was out of control are you serious.She said she was asked to leave the bar,You really must be rude to be asked to leave a bar.She is not a victim she should be in jail.The lesson you just taught my 13 year old son is get drunk act like an idiot and you don''t need to obey the police. What happened to being responsible for your own actions.

[brownie4657]

maybe a second time if she didn''t comply...but from the film...the officer just kept on pushing the button...even after she was handcuffed, and in the patrol car...this is totally abuse...the burn spots on the pants say she was tased more than was said. And the officer was following her around-with his hand on his hip-with the taser still attached to her. Like he was enjoying himself...wonder what would happen if all of this was done to the officer...like the addage says...turn abouts fair play...

[newslies1]

She looked extremely drunk to me. If you ever watch COPS or any police show, drunk people will lie and fake just about anything to get out of going to jail. I totally think she was drunk and is over exaggerating trying to get her case dropped so her kids think she is not a drunk. She may not be a drunk but she drank too much that night.

[debbiedah]

What a stupid interview with a stupid woman. I wanted to taser both of you after watching that interview... You wasted my time and it won''t happen again, I won''t be watching the Early Show again...

[ltjdmartin]

Why is she portrayed as a victim when she is clearly resisting arrest, damaging the police car, and refusing to comply with the officer? It''s not fun to watch but she is not a victim, she is a criminal in that video What do you recommend the police do with criminals who refuse to comply? We already tell police if criminals run in a vehicle, you can''t chase them, it''s not safe. Do we tell police if criminals refuse arrest they can''t arrest them?

[newkirks]

Perhaps if she is worried about playing with her 4 year old son, she should have been home with him instead of drunk in a bar.

What kind of pandering news story is this? Do you have any idea why they give officers a taser? Because they took their night sticks away. It is a means of FORCE, less than deadly force.

Did you see the woman thrashing around and screaming? Wonder how she got so bruised? Can you say, "self inflicted".

She became intoxicated to the point of being ejected from a bar. Do you know how drunk you have to be for that? If you are buying, and especially if you are a woman, you have to be really bad to get thrown out.

What was the purpose of trying to break out the car windows? Was that the officer''s fault also? If he had let her continue, and she cut her leg on the broken window, you would be hanging him out to dry for that.

Keep railing against the police and all things orderly in this nation. Take away the tasers, give them back night sticks, and then you can film them beating the *** out of a drunk, unruly, child neglecting, piece of trash.

[gkoning-2009]

I have watched The Early Show for YEARS as I get ready for work. This interview was not worthy of the time allotted to it. I changed the channel. I''m not sure if I''ll watch your morning news again!

[banone4]

the taser is used to control a resisting subject and to protect the police from injury without having to go hands on with a resistor.but as usual the police are the bad guys in the medias eyes.