Woman Who Died At Airport Was Rehab-Bound

Lawyer: Woman Handcuffed, Detained At Phoenix Airport Was On Her Way To Alcohol Rehab Program

(CBS/AP)  A woman who died after being handcuffed and detained at the Phoenix airport was on her way to an alcohol rehabilitation program in Tucson, her family's lawyer said Monday.

Carol Anne Gotbaum, 45, became irate Friday when she was late for a flight and a gate crew didn't let her on the plane. Officers handcuffed her behind her back and took her to a holding room, where she kept screaming, authorities said.

Gotbaum was wrestled to the ground as she fought back, reports CBS News correspondent Meg Oliver. She was subdued, handcuffed, and led away screaming, "I am not a terrorist!"

Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill told CBS' The Early Show people were telling police that a woman was yelling and screaming and running around the concourse.

"That certainly was, you know, outrageous behavior, and that's why we responded and she ended up getting arrested, yes," said Hill, who offered his condolences to the Gotbaum family.

Hill said officers checked on Gotbaum regularly while she was detained. During one of the checks, officers found Gotbaum unconscious with her hands "pressed against her neck area," Hill said.

Attorney Michael Manning, who was hired by Gotbaum's family to monitor the police investigation, said it doesn't seem possible she could have killed herself.

"It doesn't make any sense," he said. "She was handcuffed behind her back and shackled to a table. It doesn't make sense that she could have physically managed to strangle herself."

Manning plans to send a representative to watch the county medical examiner's autopsy of Gotbaum's body Tuesday. He'll conduct his own inquiry as to whether police followed proper procedure.

Gotbaum, the mother of three, was the daughter-in-law of New York City's longtime public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum.

Manning, a high-profile lawyer who represented the government against failed savings and loan executive Charles Keating, has previously won settlements against Sheriff Joe Arpaio in wrongful-death lawsuits. He said the family hasn't decided whether it should file a lawsuit against Phoenix police.

"We're not going to jump to any conclusions without any evidence," he said. "We want to see what the autopsy reveals. We want to see what exactly happened to her. We know that Phoenix PD requires somebody in this condition be observed and checked at least every 15 minutes. We don't know that that happened."

Hill said officers followed established policy while detaining Gotbaum. He added that police procedures for arresting someone at the airport haven't changed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"Everything, so far that we know, is according to policy," Hill said.

[my1escape]

Sounds a lot like DT''s to me. If she did not have ETOH in her system and was an alcoholic. She would have a 30% chance of dying, even if she was hospitalized. With chances pushing 95% in an airport or jail cell. People die daily from DT''s in a hospital setting.

[lollipop2007-2009]

"Don''t taze me, Bro!", was the last thing she said before she expired.

[rggribbins]

You are treated so rude at alot of airports in this country. We belong here and yet we are treated as outsiders. We didn''t do this to our country. The police treat us as if we did. But the police are not gods. So they need to stop acting as if they are. Not only in the airports but on the streets. When you screw up you should pay also. Those children are going to lose the rest of their lives and no amount of money will ever bring their mom back. So live with that one!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know who you are.

[lwessonmon]

I would like to know what she did that caused police to cuff her to begin with

[lwessonmon]

Cops are out of control in America. We have politicians preaching against the use of force by our troops in Iraq breaking into peoples'' homes in the dead of night, yet we allow cops in America to brutalize civilians. This sends a chilling message. Cops are no more qualified to determine the threat of a human being any more than the average Joe. A cop is only a citizen paid by a municipality to make arrests when a law has been broke. I would like to know what law this woman broke.

[miketcarey]

Mrs Carol Anne Gotbaum mother of 3 children was Killed by the Pheonix police department. They claim they folowed all policies and procedures BUT this inocent Mother is Dead? The internet has opened our eyes to the many Abuses of our local police department.... What hapened to "TO SERVE AND PROTECT"?
WE ALL NEED TO COMPLAIN.. This could be your mother, sister, grandma!
Mike

[andomeda]

ReginaRegina:
I guess you must know Ms. Gotbaum personally to know just what "chemicals" she was putting in her body. You also must have been in the room where she was being held to know with such certainty exactly how and why she died. Perhaps you also conducted a secret autopsy before the authorities could do so. You certainly "know" a great deal and seem amazingly certain of your conclusions. The rest of us prefer to wait until the real autopsy and investigation are concluded before we make up our minds.

[reginaregina]

She died because SHE abused her OWN body by repeatedly pumping it full of chemicals that didn''t belong there, not because of anything the police did or did not do.

[redm4-2009]

heartless Regina Regina,i hope what happened to this poor woman won''t happen to you and your love ones..why keep defending Sgt.Hill?THE ISSUE HERE IS WHY THIS WOMAN DIED UNDER THE CUSTODY OF YOUR POLICE FRIENDS!!

[savagesteve13]

She was murdered. To understand how police work, google "kenneth trentadue". It happens ALL THE TIME.

[Krazcarl]

REGINAREGEINA...either your dating a cop or are one, You treat animals better than that Vic does a little dog fighting your all up in arms the cops kill a mother of 3 and it''s ocupational hazzard there is something seriously wrong wqith this picture quit making a fool of youself or are we a troll looking to stir things up?

[reginaregina]

She was NOT in a holding cell. Jails have cells; airports do not. She was in a holding ROOM. Therefore, handcuffs were entirely appropriate.

[doxie2luv]

She should not have been traveling alone, However, the Police are to blame for this. When someone is in a holding cell behind a locked door you are NOT TO KEEP THEM HANDCUFFED!!!!!!!! This is where the Police made the mistake. The handcuffs should have been removed once she was placed in the holding cell. If they thought she was a danger to herself, someone should have stayed with her while she was cuffed until they could have arranged for a Pscyh hospital to pick her up. She should have NEVER been left alone cuffed in a holding cell. This is all the Police Departments fault. I hope the family sues them. This woman died for no reason other than pure human stupidity.

[shanev137]

http://www.tinyurl.com/2dm2ga

[shanev137]

It''s pretty shocking how many people on here are literally gloating and dancing on this poor woman''s grave.

[lotsandlots]

I bet she was drinking, and would not shut up so they shut her up.

[djlny]

She was suicidal, rehab bound, intentionally ran up to security officers with her hands up screaming, she assaulted police officers and intended to be provocative, resulting in her arrest because she missed her plane. She had attempted suicide on more than one occasion as recently as last month. She had a lot of problems the police are not responsible for.

[rocinrodney]

im sure she was drunk.seeing she was traveling by herself she probly decided to tie one on, get drunk one last time before rehab. had even one of her so called concerened family members and friends traveled with her, this tragic event would have never occured.

[tacjb1]

THE NEWS IS AT FAULT. ? WHY NOT ASK THE FAMILY "WHERE WERE YOU" SHE WAS THERE ALONE. SICK?
THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE ASK THEM??? WHY BLAME PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR A LIVING WITH MANY PEOPLE A DAY WHAT HAPPENED. THEY DID THEIR JOB, AND IT WENT WRONG. BUT , SHE WAS SICK THEY DIDNT'' CARE ENOUGH TO BE WITH HER. PLAIN ENGLISH!!!!

[nicogita]

My gripe is with the family. If she was so sick and on her way to rehab- why didn''t someone go with her or why didn''t they send an advocate or councelor to make the trip with her! She could have easily been tempted to drink at the airport or not go at all! If someone had been with her, I think this tragedy may have been avoided. I am not saying that the airport was right in detaining her, or she was wrong for being upset. I think she had a right to be upset and maybe they could have handled the situation better (obviously)- but still...I have to wonder why they sent her alone to rehab. Just my opinion- and if someone knows more about this - please inform.