SHREVEPORT, La., Feb. 21, 2008
Police Video Of Bloody Woman Investigated
La. Woman Claims She Was Beaten While Camera Was Turned Off During Interrogation
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Play CBS Video Video Fired 'Brutality' Cop Defended A policeman's union says a cop fired for alleged brutality to a woman in his custody had his rights violated in reaction to a video showing his charge lying in a pool of blood. Jeff Glor reports.
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Investigators are examining the case of a woman seen in a police department video lying in a pool of blood in an interrogation room. Angela Garbarino has said she was beaten after her Nov. 17 arrest on a drunk driving charge while the attorney for the police officer claims she fell, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. (CBS)
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Angela Garbarino of Mooringsport has said she was beaten after her Nov. 17 arrest on a drunk driving charge. The attorney for Wiley Willis, the police officer who was fired Feb. 5 in connection with the case, has said through his attorney that Garbarino fell.
Willis has had two lawsuits filed against him in 2006, one by a mother who says the officer put a gun to her son's head, another by a woman who says she was arrested because she filed a complaint against Willis, reports CBS News' Early Show correspondent Jeff Glor.
Excerpts from a police videotape show Garbarino struggling with an officer in the interrogation room. But the camera was turned off for a time. When it was turned back on, Garbarino is seen on the floor in a pool of blood.
"I had an opportunity to view the tape. I was outraged at what I observed," Whitehorn said at a news conference at police headquarters. "I immediately ordered an internal affairs investigation. That investigation determined that numerous policy violations had occurred."
Garbarino, 42, said Willis, 30, tried to force her to take a breath test against her will and that he beat her after turning off the camera.
Willis' lawyer, Eron Brainard, was not immediately available for comment when called Wednesday by The Associated Press. He told The (Shreveport) Times that Willis did not beat Garbarino.
"After her refusal to take the breath test, officer Willis turned off and saved the videotape in accordance with normal practice," Brainard said in a story published Wednesday. "The suspect again tried to leave the room. In the process of (Willis) stopping her, she fell and injured herself."
Paramedics took her to LSU Hospital in Shreveport, where she was treated for a broken nose, a fractured cheek bone and bruises on various parts of her body. Two of her teeth were knocked out.
Lisa Bloom, legal analyst for The Early Show calls the situation "preposterous."
"If somebody slips and falls, they may bruise their wrist. They don't have two black and blue eyes, missing teeth and found lying down in a pool of their own blood," says Bloom.
Shreveport's police chief says he is outraged by what he saw on the tape, which is why he fired Willis, reports Glor.
But Willis has not been charged with any crime.
The police union has also come to Willis's defense, saying that the chief didn't follow protocol and the police officer's rights were violated, reports Glor.
Garbarino had been taken into custody for DWI testing after someone saw her crash her vehicle into other cars in a casino parking garage and a light pole on a city street, according to police.
Whitehorn said it is police policy for an officer to turn off the videotape of a sobriety test when testing is over and the officer is preparing to book the offender.
Policy will now be changed to where two police officers are in the room at all times, authorities said.
Whitehorn would not say whether he felt Garbarino fell or was thrown down. He also would not say whether he felt the officer should have left the tape on.
"When the incident started to escalate, he should have called in another police officer. He could have cuffed her to the chair. He could have used less restrictive means to control the woman if, indeed, she was getting physically abusive," Bloom told The Early Show.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 182 CommentsAnd a bunch of time waisted,,not to mention your money!
What were they trying to prove?
Posted by pet713 at 06:19 PM : Feb 21, 2008
Oh yes, go along with it...don''t fight or argue...sheeeeeeet
I was pulled over for DWI for being the designated driver. Was taken down town, and the cop couldn''t figure out how to hook up the video equipment, so (remember I am supposed to be drunk)I hooked it up. When I blew, it was a 0.00. I hadn''t been drinking.
I even offerred and took another test, 0.00. The cop said he smelt alcohol on me. I told him I was at a club, but was only drinking Coke. He asked about the smell. I explaigned that another patron brought his drink on the dancefloor, and sloshed it all over everybody(he was thrown out and barred). In the end, they were going to let me go, but decided to hold me until Monday(this was Saturday night), so I could prove to a judge that I made my living by buying and reselling. They booked me on possession of illegal weapons for a case(sealed) of bootknives I had bought that night at an auction, to sell in my flea market booth. When it came to trial a month later, the charges were all dropped.
As for a fall causing that much damage, I can believe it. My 88 yr old mother fell last year. She didn''t break her nose, but did have the 2 black eyes, swelling...etc. Was alot of blood. However, I understood, that the video had to left on anytime there was a subject in the room for dwi testing.
As for the abusive cop, many are. Many more are good, honest people just trying to do a job. Trouble is, you rarely hear much about them.
One of our local high school cops was let go by the city police for abusive behavior (he also got beat-up a couple of times). Now he is able to use his power and authority to terrorize the kids.
Posted by DSR57 at 09:36 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Rule #3,,,If your going to insult people,,be more creative!
Good day to you,,too.
And use that cranium, thats between the blades,, for something other than,, a hat rack.
Boot Licker(ing)= A$$ kisser,,,,Goose stepping== you tow the party line,,or whatever krap that the "Man" tells you,, you will believe. Repug== Republican And Bushite,,or Bushitt,,,which ever fits = Bush,,as in the president..
I said.....Your going to have to explain to me what this means I must not be up on the cbs comment section jargon
I don''t know how I can get any more simple than that. Maybe if you read it a little slower and sound it out you''d have a better chance at Comprehension
Tis you,,,,,, who''s losing,,,, Like I said,,Ask the question,,,so people will know "What" you''re asking!
And I''m not in the habit,,of asking or answering my own questions...Do you get "it" now?
Rule #2,,,When asking a question,,,make sure that it makes sense,,,otherwise,,it may not get answered! Ask the question again.
Slim
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Typical, When losing an argument and have nothing to say, jump right to someones spelling or pucntuation, that''s the saftey net that always works. OR you can just repeat a previous dig from another post.
Time for you to jump ship to another story slimy, you''ve been bested because you can''t answer your own questions and are starting to repeat yourself.
Go back and hit the gym so you can marvel at the guys with muscles ans accuse them of being on steriods.
HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU MAKE EXCUSES FOR VIOLENCE UNLESS, YOU ARE MARRIED TO AN ABUSER OR BLIND IN OTHER EYES.
THIS COP IS AN ABUSER WEARING A GUN, HE IS AS GUILTY AS YOU OR ANY CAN BE CLEARLY SEE ON THE TAPE.
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FORCE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FILING OF THE FIRST (1ST)LAWSUIT. END OF STORY.
Posted by DSR57 at 08:56 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Like I said,,,,join us in reality,,will ya? Your goose stepping is causing the rest of the country to get out of step..
Posted by DSR57 at 08:51 AM : Feb 22, 2008
LOL,,,Rule #1,,,while posting on CBS,,,,learn how to spell,,or use spell check,,,, and pucntuation is an absolute must!
Rule #2,,,When asking a question,,,make sure that it makes sense,,,otherwise,,it may not get answered! Ask the question again.
, were you also talking about the 40 or 50 years ago when beating a confession out of someone was pretty much common practice?
Posted by darlingd1
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I''m NOT I repeat NOT saying that the cop didn''t beat her but I did have a guy in my flight in Basic training that fell out during a formation, he hit his face broke his nose blacked both his eyes and chipped his front tooth. When he came back to the barracks the next day he looked like he had been worked over pretty good. I will say that even if she left that room unscathed, he should have been fired for covering up the camera
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