Airport Death Doctor: Police Blew It

Family's Pathologist Agrees On Accidental Strangulation, But Says It Could Have Been Prevented

(CBS/AP)  A private pathologist hired by the family of a woman who died in police custody at the Phoenix airport agrees that she accidentally strangled herself - but he also blamed police for her death.

Dr. Cyril Wecht agreed with a medical examiner's earlier report that an intoxicated Carol Anne Gotbaum accidentally strangled herself on her shackles in a holding room at Sky Harbor International Airport on Sept. 28.

But Wecht also said officers roughed up the 45-year-old mother of three, who was flying from New York to an alcohol treatment center in Tucson, and said they should have watched her as she sat in the holding room alone, screaming.

"This is a person who cries out for medical care, attention, appraisal, evaluation, appropriate treatment," Wecht told The Associated Press. "Anyone with a modicum of training would know this."

Wecht said Gotbaum's symptoms and behavior might have indicated any number of problems.

"That kind of erratic behavior has a differential diagnosis in medicine of many things - too much sugar, too little sugar, brain bleed in or around the brain, endocrine, metabolic causes, pulmonary function," Wecht said on CBS News' The Early Show.

"She was treated cruelly, as if she were some kind of a terrorist, which of course she was not," Wecht said.

Wecht said he sent his findings to family lawyer Michael Manning.

Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said officers followed proper procedures when they arrested Gotbaum, the step-daughter-in-law of New York City's public advocate.

"The moment they knew she was under medical distress, they made every effort to try and save her life," including CPR, Hill said. The department is reviewing its procedures to see whether any policy changes are needed.

"They did not notice her until she had already collapsed, and she then was in extremis," Wecht Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm.

Gotbaum's family has accused police of mistreating her. They have not decided whether to sue police, but the Maricopa County medical examiner's report "makes it more likely they'll make a claim," Manning said.

The government autopsy report "says she was obviously sick before she went into the room, and she was left unattended with a 20-inch chain, and she asphyxiated on that chain," Manning said.

The attorney said Phoenix police did not act appropriately. Local and national police standards call for officers to notify medical authorities when they're arresting someone who appears physically or mentally ill - not after the person is in custody and unconscious, he said.

"It doesn't appear that they did" notify medical authorities in time, Manning said. "If they don't do that, if they make that mistake, then they're not supposed to leave that person shackled up and unobserved."

A government autopsy said that Gotbaum was intoxicated on alcohol and prescription antidepressants, and that her blood-alcohol level was 0.24 percent - three times Arizona's legal limit of 0.08 for driving while intoxicated.

Gotbaum became enraged when the gate crew didn't let her on the plane to Tucson, police said. In the holding room, she was found unconscious with the handcuffs up around her neck.

"Even up to the point when she has stepped out of the handcuffs and brought them in front of her, had she been observed even up to that point, her life would have been saved," Wecht said.

[erasmus6]

"Print off your comments and take them with you. I''''m sure your doctor will know what to do." posted by tuckerndfw

I think you should print of ALL your posts, I am sure it will take awhile but when your doctor sees the content and how many there are, I have no doubt he will tell you what I have been telling you.

[erasmus6]

tuckerndfw

YOU NEED HELP and I am not the only one that thinks so.

And with you living in the U.S., I guess there isn''t much hope of you getting it, is there?

[michellem99-2009]

crzmeat..Amen..I have seen cops rub mace in the eyes on TV. The ladies just sat there. I broke down in tears as it is their eyes. They beat others. They ripped my friend''s hair out and by touch I found it on the floor and broke in tears. I don''t know why they have to be bullies on a power trip just cause they wear a bagde and such. Barbara.

[erasmus6]

"I am taking no side other than what is supported by the reported "facts."" posted by tuckerndfw

You are full of c-r-a-p. You are taking the cops side even though there is no way of knowing one way or the other what happened. There was no camera in that room, so there is no way of knowing for a FACT exactly what happened. In your mind everyone is at fault EXCEPT the cops. If you have noticed YOU are one of the very few that believe that there is no suspicion on the cops.

But the fact remains that YOU are obsessive and out of control. The fact that you have to constantly post over and over and over again non-stop shows that you are missing a few bricks.

[erasmus6]

"One curious aspect of the coroner''''s report is how they could determine that she strangled herself. I mean, how could an autopsy possibly tell that some rogue cop didn''''t twist the chain around her neck? posted by gkc99

As hard as it is for me to agree with anything this person says, he is EXACTLY right.

tuckerndfw

I will say this again, YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL. If you go back and look at the neverending posts you have written here and on the other sites on this subject, it shows how truely OBSESSED you are.

Because you are an EX cop, it just makes you look pathetic. I''m wondering what kind of a cop YOU were, that you are blindly and obsessively standing up for these cops this way, when there is no way of knowing what they actually did. Maybe YOU were an abusive cop?

[erasmus6]

"...she accidentally strangled herself - BUT HE ALSO BLAMED POLICE FOR HER DEATH."

"...officers ROUGHED UP the 45-year-old mother of three,..."

"She was TREATED CRUELLY..."

"This is a person WHO CRIES OUT for medical care, attention, appraisal, evaluation, appropriate treatment," Wecht told The Associated Press. "ANYONE WITH A MODICUM OF TRAINING WOULD KNOW THIS."

"The government autopsy report "says she was OBVIOUSLY SICK before she went into the room, and she was LEFT UNATTENDED with a 20-inch chain, and she asphyxiated on that chain," Manning said."


This and the fact that she had a truely pathetic family are the reasons why she is DEAD. EVERYONE is to blame.

CASE CLOSED.

[Krazcarl]

Gramma why do you have to believe that *** so you can feel safe...Your Not...Hate That

[don-h1]

the Police ARE the terrorists: They are paid to keep the populace under governmental political control by whatever method works best. Obviously the most effective method is to keep all individuals in fear of their lives, which means they have to kill an innocent bystander civilian occasionally. What did you expect in a police state?
/s/ an ex-cop.

[don-h1]

the Police ARE the terrorists: They are paid to keep the populace under governmental political control by whatever method works best. Obviously the most effective method is to keep all individuals in fear of their lives, which means they have to kill an innocent bystander civilian occasionally. What did you expect in a police state?
/s/ an ex-cop.

[grammawhamma]

The police did not intentionally kill this woman any more then she intentionally killed herself. It was an accident that could have been prevented in many ways.

First of all her family was the most negligent in having an unstable person travel alone. Secondly her death could have been prevented if she would not have been left alone in the holding cell (again this could have been prevented had a family or friend been with her). So in my opinion her family is the most negligent party here and should be held responsible for her unfortunate death. May this poor woman rest in peace.