Tape Shows Scuffle Before Airport Death

Carol Anne Gotbaum Resists Arrest, Behaves Erratically On Surveillance Video

(CBS/AP)  Newly released surveillance video of a woman who died in police custody shows her running through an airport terminal, bowing abruptly as she appeared to yell and then resisting arrest as three officers try to control her.

"Based on witness statements she's screaming at the top of her lungs, 'I'm not a terrorist I'm not a terrorist,'" said Phoenix Police Sgt. Mike Polombo.

After police handcuffed Carol Anne Gotbaum behind her back, she locked her legs as officers held her by the arms and pushed her, still standing, through the terminal at Sky Harbor International Airport, the video shows.

Police released the video and their report on her arrest Thursday amid allegations from Gotbaum's family that officers manhandled her before her death last month.

"The struggle itself is a reasonable restraint technique," Reginald Allard, an experienced law enforcement leader, trainer and educator. said on CBS News' The Early Show. "The three officers, as far as I can tell from the videotape, are leveraging her down into a restrain, handcuff position, which is what we do."

Police in this situation would decide whether to handle this as a medical crisis or as a criminal problem, said Allard.

"In this case, the context would indicate that there's a medical crisis," he said.

Authorities are investigating the death. The family and the attorney have said they will not comment during a mourning period that ends early next week.

Gotbaum was arrested Sept. 28 for disorderly conduct after she was kept off a connecting flight that was to bring her to Tucson, where she was set to enter a treatment center to confront her alcoholism. The 45-year-old is the stepdaughter-in-law of New York City's public advocate, an elected watchdog of city government.

At 1:06 p.m. Gotbaum arrived at the gate, one minute after the doors closed. The gate agent told her she could get on the next flight leaving at 2:58 p.m., reports CBS News Early Show national correspondent Jeff Glor.

She called her husband Noah several times, desperate and deeply concerned she missed her flight.

At 2:49 p.m., Phoenix police got a radio call about a "loud and disturbing" person. The video inside the airport shows Gotbaum, clearly distraught.

At 2:53, officers stepped in, and Gotbaum was soon on the floor, reports Glor.

"She's placed on her stomach and they're having a hard time pulling her right arm from underneath her stomach, which is pinned against the ground," said Polombo. "They pull her over to the right a little bit, which pops her arm out."

Her husband called emergency dispatchers before learning of her death to say she was in a deep depression and suicidal, according to the police report.

"They're not dealing with some lout who's just drank too much on an airplane," the report quoted Noah Gotbaum as saying. "That's not what's going on here."

He also warned, "They're playing with real fire right now."

Police said Gotbaum was shackled to a bench with a chain about two feet long and left alone in a holding room for about six to eight minutes. She was then found unconscious and not breathing, with the chain from the shackle pulled against the front of her neck.

"Because a person is handcuffed does not make that person safe to the officers or to themselves," Allard, a 32-year police veteran who works as a police procedures and practices liability consultant, told Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm.

"They should have been keeping an eye on her?" asked Storm.

"Throughout that contact. And there should have been a medical response for that purpose," replied Allard.

There were frantic attempts to revive Gotbaum, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR.

But at 3:29 pm, Carol Anne Gotbaum was pronounced dead.

The video released Thursday did not contain audio, and Gotbaum was a considerable distance from the cameras throughout most of the footage.

Gotbaum backed away after airport workers and police approached her. Next, she was on the ground - it was unclear how she got there - and continued resisting officers after they put her back on her feet. Shoeless by this point, she then dragged her feet while being led away.

The autopsy conducted Tuesday on Gotbaum was inconclusive, and toxicology results needed to determine a cause of death will not be available for a few weeks, a county medical examiner said.

[xenalily]

What confuses me about this the most is why was this woman travelling alone if she was as emotionally disturbed and suicidal as her husband claims. Didn''t someone in her family or circle of friends care enough about her to accompany her on this trip to an alcohol treatment facility? This is just really sad- I feel so badly for her children. I don''t understand why she was alone if she was such a danger to herself.

[shannopin1]

There is not one reason in the entire world that excuses the family from allowing her to fly alone. If she was as sick as they are saying someone should have been flying with her. This is a case in trying to place the blame on the Airport and the Airport Security. These men/women were doing their job with an out of control person. They had no way of knowing she was suicidal and a an alcoholic. I imagine the family will get quite a tidy settlement when they sue instead of taking responsibility for their actions

[zootallures2]

Well known and well connected, huh? Looks like you just been a victim of your own well known and well connected 9/11 baloney. Public advocate? What do you advocate? Come to New York City, stay at a Siverstein Property, get bombed, get to leap 100 floors and them get dumped in a land fill?

[tail_honcho]

How will our police ever protect the general public (us) and stop crime when we tie their hands so tightly. Just rediculous.

[plplearecrzy]

Mr. Gotbaum, the police did their job. You however, did not.

You should have accompanied your wife on this flight. I''m sure someone could have watched your children. Stop blaming others for your failure.

Shame on you!

[gmond]

No matter what I think of the woman''s actions, she should not have been left alone and there should have been standard procedures for medical assistance in the case of such obviously out of control behaviour. If the family sues, they will win, as much as we may not like it.

[extremophil]

If she was as unstable as her family says, then she was lucky to have lived as long as she did.

[anon_imus]

INVESTIGATE, ARREST, & FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST ALL THE NEGLIGENT PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS POOR WOMAN''S TRAGIC DEATH.

What''s next... are they going to handcuff and shackle all the sick and mentally ill and call it STANDARD PROCEDURE???

Will the next step be EUTHANASIA to save time and trouble???

Prosecute everyone responsible and then sue their butts off.

My condolences to this woman''s poor grieving family

[rational_1]

I wonder if she suffered from delerium tremens, which is a severe sometimes lethal reaction following withdrawal from alcohol. These people suffer from panic attacks, anxiety and paranoia and can die from cardiac arrythmia or heart attacks. If she was a heavy long-time drinker who was suddenly cut off, this might have played a role in her death.

[abigail70]

If she was so disturbed, then why was she flying alone? Airport personnel have to deal with enough *** from folks who feel fine. She killed herself. I''m sorry for such a sad end for what was surely a disturbed individual, but I''m even more sick of people constantly whining that it''s always someone else''s fault. Sometimes, bad things happen.

[bj_smith1978]

How about MY RIGHTS? If she was mental sick she should not have been flying on a comercial flight. At least she should have had an escort.

[nolalou]

I agree that either her husband, or some friend or family member should have accompanied her on this trip! It was obviously known she had problems that required treatment, and yet she was allowed to travel on her own.

I still think there needs to be a investigation to determine if the procedures at the airport need to be reviewed, since if a medical situation like this exists, someone should have stayed with her while she was handcuffed.

[nevadalady]

I want to cast my vote with those who are saying her family is responsible for her death. I can''t imagine why they let someone this sick travel alone and unsupervised. What were they thinking?? The airport did everything right, the victim''s family did everything wrong.

[dormmom1]

It''s sad but she should''ve cooperated with the police.
People are always blaming police for harassment when they should have just cooperated. Take responsibility
for your own actions ! Thanks to police for trying to
protect us from evil.

[dormmom1]

It''s sad but she should''ve cooperated with the police.
People are always blaming police for harassment when they should have just cooperated. Take responsibility
for your own actions ! Thanks to police for trying to
protect us from evil.

[dragonmouse-2009]

I think they did what they had to do. You through a fit in the airport...you get taken away. She resisted and fought back...what were they supposed to do? She shouldn''t have been flying alone if she was that prone to "issues".

[rushlimpdrug]

"At 1:06 p.m. Gotbaum arrived at the gate, one minute after the doors closed."

And we all know that everything works like a clock at airports.
Helll, if she showed up 1 minute late she could delay a flight.
Airlines are sooo punctual.
1 minute! Not to be tollerated.

[jade641299]

I believe the police would also be held liable as well. Usually once in custody, one of the first things they are required to do is to take everything from you that could be a possible hazard to yourself because they don''t usually know what the person''s mental state is. They take all shoe strings, pant strings, men''s ties, shoes, etc., as a precaution. People have been known to hang themselves with these types of items, let alone I heard them say on the news she was attached to a "2 ft shackle". Hello? That shackle sounds pretty lengthy to me. Considering that shackle sounds like it was longer than a shoestring, tie, etc., they should have been keping an eye on her.

[hmmm8]

If I believed that someone I loved was suicidal, I wouldn''t let them fly across the country alone and expect them to successfully check into a rehab center. That''s naive in the extreme, and that family doesn''t sound like a naive family...they sound like very selfish people. I feel sad for the children. As for the rest of them, it''s all publicity isn''t it. Sick.

[gramto7]

"At 1:06 p.m. Gotbaum arrived at the gate, one minute after the doors closed."

And we all know that everything works like a clock at airports.
Helll, if she showed up 1 minute late she could delay a flight.
Airlines are sooo punctual.
1 minute! Not to be tollerated.

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:40 AM

Considering she decided to start showing her a$$ so that the police had to be called at 2:49 when she had been told she could get on the 2:58 flight, I have no sympathy for her. She would have had less than a 2 hour wait, when it was initially her fault for being late anyway. Her family should have been with her!

[xenalily]

Just a thought- because of HIPPA laws she was not under obligation to disclose why she was delirious or that she was seeking treatment for alcohol or any other condition. Her family knew of her medical issues but chose not to travel with her to ensure her safety (as well as the safety of others). The police officers had no idea she was suicidal, had no idea of her medical past and had no idea how much of a risk she posed to others. If she was as suicidal as her husband contends isn''t it completely possible she did choke herself? The police may have never thought in a million years she would try to kill herself. I just can''t help but think this is just a tragic accident that hopefully we can all learn from. At what point is it clear to police that she is mentally ill versus under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol? I think the police did their job and were not privy to information simply because they are restricted to that info by law. Had someone been with her this whole thing would have never happened!

[Krazcarl]

I don''t care no matter how you look at it they murdered her, She was trying to get help she wasn''t suicidel this is a crime and disgusting. Shakling a lady to a table is dubious at best. She made the classic mistake of a first time offender and thought she could reason with police. They went in to shut her up and did there low life a-holes and should be prosecuted. Police are lonely in prison that is why half the job is covering each others hinny we all know the code of blue. I pray the bully is brought up on charges.

[xenalily]

crzmeat- get a grip buddy! There was no murder here! The family hasn''t even officially stated that they are seeking a law suit or incriminating the police in a murder. Murder is PREMIDITATED- if what you are spouting off about is true then that means that these three cops all had the intention of taking a woman who caused a serious disturbance into custody, concocted a plan to end her life and then went through with the plan- all in the space of 6-8 minutes. Wow- those are some pretty crafty cops to commit a premeditated crime such as murder in 6-8 minutes!! I''m sure they looked at each other when she starting throwing a fit and said "This is the day- this works into our plan perfectly- an emotionally disturbed woman has just come to the airport- no one can stop us with our plan to murder someone in a holding cell with shackles- mwa ha ha ha!!!" You''re absurd! There is no logic to what you are saying.

[Krazcarl]

Your all ignorant I have been the victum of police brutality yes she was niave but nevertheless it''s obvious she wasn''t a terrorist she was abused. Never understood a agitated woman but never killed one. Those filthy bums were going to teack her a lesson and don''t think fo one minute anything else was there agenda. Sticking up for police won''t help you next time your busted as this lady learned the hard way, Get real think about it.

[Krazcarl]

xenalily..you live a sheltered life you have no idea what your talking about your rambling like this lady and was killed for it.

[senancy]

The family allowed a suicidal nutcase to fly on a plane alone WITHOUT WARNING THE AIRLINE?? Can you imagine what she might have done in the air? The husband, in my opinion, should be arrested for intent for criminal negligence. I don''t know if that crime exists but knowing Homeland Security, there''s something out there he can be charged with.

[on_final]

Her husband is the happiest man in the world to be rid of the crazy beeotch, I wish my exwife had flown through PHX before my divorce.

[gwagener]

senancy wrote:
The family allowed a suicidal nutcase to fly on a plane alone WITHOUT WARNING THE AIRLINE??

If they had told the airline than the airline would have put her on the don''t fly list.

[global_chick]

The blame is on the family, not the cops. I hope they don''t get one red cent. I am sick of people blaming the cops for DOING THEIR JOBS. It''s called personal responsbility, and Carol and her family showed NONE of that. It is not the job of the cops to read minds about a person''s mental issues or to be their therapist or hand-holder. It is their job to protect the people. She was screaming, running around and throwing her BlackBerry. They had EVERY RIGHT to take the action they did.

[global_chick]

beecuster, quit talking out your a--. Your comments are laughable and have NO basis in fact. You''ve probably never even been to Arizona.

[nlm2383]

As everyone else has said, no one but the woman and her family should be held liable. They knew she was unstable and suicidal, she shouldn''t have been left alone. Maybe she committed suicide? Maybe she had too much to drink and didn''t realize she was late for her flight? The woman was only alone 6 to 8 minutes, that''s not a very long time. I commented previously on the Phoenix airport and I still stand by what I said. In my experience with them, and I have had a lot, they are extremely polite and professional, I don''t see anything they could have done differently.

[lochlan-2009]

Get angry at airport = death penalty.

America, what a country.

[tejasdemo]

Wow..how sad.

[tail_honcho]

I agree with "bj_smith1978", what about our rights? How would you feel being on an airplane with someone like this. Imagine if she went bezerk on the plane, had her suicide intentions emerge because she was asked to control herself and then tried to take us all down as she exited the plane at 35,000 feet.
Very sad that she killed herself... 5 or 10 minutes alone is not a crime. If she was truly such a threat as her family states, then why is she not a on a do not fly list, or at least accompanied by travel companions (maybe ones in white suits), etc.

[s1ckd09]

Get angry at airport = death penalty.

America, what a country.
------------------------------------------------

Posted by lochlan at 11:40 AM : Oct 05, 2007

Being uninformed and/or stupid and having freedom of speech = posts like yours

America, what a country.

[s1ckd09]

"At 1:06 p.m. Gotbaum arrived at the gate, one minute after the doors closed."

And we all know that everything works like a clock at airports.
Helll, if she showed up 1 minute late she could delay a flight.
Airlines are sooo punctual.
1 minute! Not to be tollerated.

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:40 AM

And you''d be the first to complain when your flight was late because someone showed up late at the last stop and delayed your flight. Why do you think they have that policy in the first place? The more things they can control that don''t alter the schedules, the more on time they will be. They tell you to be at the gate no later than 20 minutes before departure, just because of this very thing.
No, one minute is not to be tolerated. She didn''t show up one minute later, she showed up one minute after the doors were closed. She showed up at least 21 minutes late.

[s1ckd09]

INVESTIGATE, ARREST, & FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST ALL THE NEGLIGENT PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS POOR WOMAN''''S TRAGIC DEATH.

What''''s next... are they going to handcuff and shackle all the sick and mentally ill and call it STANDARD PROCEDURE???

Will the next step be EUTHANASIA to save time and trouble???

Prosecute everyone responsible and then sue their butts off.

My condolences to this woman''''s poor grieving family

----------------------------------------------------

Posted by anon_imus at 09:54 AM : Oct 05, 2007

I agree. I think the family should be investigated for abuse, neglect, and criminal misconduct for allowing an unsupervised mentally disturbed person in a public place without supervision, and by not notifying authorities of her medical condition, they did not provide the necessary information to police upon her detainment. She was acting like a typical drunk person on a rampage. The police had nothing else to go on except the fact that she was drinking, and drinking excessively explains all of her behavior.

[krenz4]

All I can say is i dont understand how her family can expect that she would be treated any better or differently than anyone else acting like that in the airport, regardless of what her problem is. The sad fact is, there is now problem because she, as a white female in America was NOT given special consideration or "Understanding". Granted, there are not a lot of people who manage to hang themselves while being held, but this treatment and handling happens everyday to us people who do not have powerful families. The fact that her husband warned the security forces that they were playing with fire, is testament to the fact that they fully expected some sort of special treatment for her.

[civilcop-2009]

All of the alleged experts on police practices have supported the action of three extremely large police officers subduing a hysterical woman.
I watched the interview of Mr. Allard by Hannah Storm this morning with shock and dismay. Where did ABC find this so called expert? Not one word of criticism of the police, basically they did everything right. I only served 20-years in law enforcement, and have evaluated thousands of use force cases during the past 20-years as an expert witness in both Federal and State courts for both the Plaintiff and Defendants and find the actions of these officers inexcusable. Look at the size of the three officers, big guys more likely than not out of shape (fat). Were these officers trained to defuse the situation? Carol Gotbaum died at the hands of others, the others are the folks who are paid to protect and serve. On that day they became the vehicle that resulted in the death of a mother of three, a woman who truly needed help and compassion, not the cold callus after the fact evaluation by some alleged expert who will never find fault against the boys in blue. I hope the City of Phoenix understands that they will be paying for this wrongful death.

[sharncedar]

Well let''s see all the ways the right-wing loonies can blame the victim for this one. She shouldn''t have stuck her neck in the murderer''s hands, she should have used mental mind control to somehow keep from choking to death in their chokehold, she should have been nice them and said "praise Bush" 7 times.

Ok, right-wing looonies, she is to blame, not you. Does that make you feel better? Sorry, I was lying. You are to blame, the blood''s on your hands, and the hands of all hysterical chicken-hawks, and all of your lies, all of your justifications, all of your smug little avoidances of guilt can''t erase your crimes. Too bad, enjoy your sojourn in Hell.

This is the one of the first, not the last time that the hysteria fomented by right-wing loonies will lead to death.

[ov442]

Her Husband also said this...Her husband called emergency dispatchers before learning of her death to say she was in a deep depression and suicidal, according to the police report.

"They''re not dealing with some lout who''s just drank too much on an airplane," the report quoted Noah Gotbaum as saying. "That''s not what''s going on here."

The playing with fire part was in context to her being in a suicidal state, and needed to be kept watch on, not left in chains alone in a bare room.

These guys Did NOT do what they are supposed to do.
Every single instance of any person being held in custody that is indicated is under suicide watch is always kept under constant surveillance and restrained from being able to harm themselves.
This was not done in this case. They treated her like a common criminal not a distraught woman having an emotional crisis and in need of immediate counseling.

[jonw1115]

Everyone wants to sue in these situations. Is anyone responsible for their own actions anymore? Those security officers had no idea this woman was suicidal and followed procedures in restraining her. Now they may not have checked on her regularly enough once locked up, but it only takes a few minutes to strangle yourself. With fifteen minutes between checking in on her she would have offed herself no matter what. This is truly tragic and no one wants to see his type of thing happen, but I have to say this rests on a family that didn''t give their wife/daugther/mother enough care to escort her to get the help she needed to right the ship! Stop blaming everyone else for ignoring your own obligations and take ownership for your mistakes/shortcomings for once. No amount of money will bring her back, but in this day and age you may see old Noah get over it faster with a couple million dollars.

[luigi999-2009]

She obviously brought this on herself! Anybody with half a brain can see this! STOP making excuses for this nut job.

[navyretired2]

"What''''s next... are they going to handcuff and shackle all the sick and mentally ill and call it STANDARD PROCEDURE???

Will the next step be EUTHANASIA to save time and trouble???

Prosecute everyone responsible and then sue their butts off.

My condolences to this woman''''s poor grieving family.

Posted by anon_imus at 09:54 AM : Oct 05, 2007"

You''re a bed-wetting idiot.

*** was she doing unacompanied if she was such a mentally disturbed person, hence a danger to herself AND others?!?!

Prosecute everyone responsible? I take it you''re referring to security. It wasn''t their fault she was a whacko and her family KNEW that and CHOSE to expose her to mass amounts of people in her unstable state.

If the security/police operated outside procedure and violate police policies, then there should be reprisal, if not, they did their job.

I feel bad for her kids...it''s not their fault their parents are completely stupid.

[oleander8]

Her husband called emergency dispatchers before learning of her death to say she was in a deep depression and suicidal, according to the police report.

Then what was she doing at the airport by herself?

[xenalily]

ov442- Just to get the timeline straight- the police in charge of Gotbaum never got any communications from her husband- they were never made aware of her mental instability, her alcohol addiction or that she was suicidal! It''s not like they knew her state of mind.

[Krazcarl]

You heartless pigs since my last post there is nothing but put downs on her and none of you where there. I have been the victum of police brutality iy is ugly. A mother of 3 wieghing 100 lbs. should die at a airport for running her mouth. PLEASE if you don''t have badges don''t get one.

[gilb7386]

It was a poor decision on the families part to let a suicidal, menatally ill(deeply depressed)person on the way to rehab unaccompanied. If the family knew of her condition (which they did) than they should have accompanied her to rehab. I feel badly for all involved.

[lochlan-2009]

s1ckd09- You are a fascist, why the hell have you chosen to live in America? This is a democratic country with a constitution and a bill of rights, you might want to look them up. It would appear your education is limited and your ethics and morals... right in line with the current Administration.

[naragonl]

SharnCedar

How the heck did you figure out that all the posters
who were Ok with the police actions are ''right wingers''?

I''m liberal, but also believe that the great majority of police and other versions of law enforcement are good people and do the right thing.

The people I hold responsible for this are the woman''s family for letting her travel alone. Especially the husband....shame on him.

Not sure why Grandma Gotbaum couldn''t have watched the kids, or she could have accompanied her daughter to the rehab facility. Maybe they were too busy meddling in everyone else''s business back in NY and not doing the right thing by their sick daughter.