Woman's Bizarre Airport Death Probed
45-Year-Old Mother Of 3 May Have Choked Trying To Break Free Of Handcuffs At Phoenix Airport
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This undated family photo provided by the Office of the Public Advocate for the City of New York shows Carol Anne Gotbaum. Gotbaum, 45, was found dead in a police holding cell in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007, where she had been taken in handcuffs after being arrested at an airport, authorities and relatives said. (AP/Office of NYC Public Advocate)
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Play CBS Video Video Woman Dies In Holding Cell "CBS News RAW": The public advocate for New York City addresses the death of her daughter-in-law who died in an Arizona police holding cell. Authorities are still investigating the cause of death.
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Video Mom Dies In Airport Security An investigation is under way into the bizarre death of Carol Anne Gotbaum, a mother who died while being detained by security at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Meg Oliver reports.
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Video Officer On Airport Death Sgt. Andy Hill of the Phoenix police department tells Harry Smith the daughter-in-law of New York City public advocate Betsy Gotbaum was taken into custody after reports of outrageous behavior.
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Blog Travel Tips Tips from CBSNews.com's How-To Travel Guru, Jim Gullo, and a way to share your travel knowledge.
Carol Anne Gotbaum may have accidentally choked herself to death while handcuffed in the cell at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Gotbaum, a relative of New York City's public advocate, was arrested Friday at after she became irate when gate crews refused to let her board a flight for which she was late, officials said.
The events that led to Gotbaum's death began when she became irate over not being allowed on a US Airways flight to Tucson, though she was rebooked on a later flight, officials 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.
Officers took her to the holding room, where she kept screaming, authorities said. They checked on her when she became quiet and found her unresponsive, said Hill.
"We have a policy that requires we check on them at least once every 15 minutes and the officers did that, Hill said. "Within five to 10 minutes, she was alone and she had been yelling and screaming, but when the officers recognized that her yelling and screaming stopped, they went to check on her."
It appears Gotbaum may have tried to get out of her handcuffs, which ended up around her neck, Hill said. A medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
"In my 23 years, I have not come across something like this before," Hill told the New York Post.
"She was a wonderful mother; she was sweet and kind and loving," said public advocate Betsy Gotbaum, the woman's stepmother-in-law. "It's obviously very, very difficult for us; we are dealing with it as best we can. My No. 1 focus is those children and my stepson."
She also pleaded with the press for privacy.
The New York City public advocate helps solve residents' problems with government and acts as a watchdog over city agencies.
Neither a stun gun nor pepper spray was used on the woman, authorities said.
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