A Black woman was allegedly grabbed by the hair and pulled out of her SUV by North Carolina police during a traffic stop in 2019 after she was driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit and failed to stop for law enforcement, according to a civil lawsuit filed last week. Lawsuit to be filed against police after Calif. man dies while being restrained by police. Those we have entrusted to keep us safe. Lawsuit to be filed against police after Calif. man dies while being restrained by police. Devin Barkalow M Overview. I am exhausted with seeing Black bodies abused, tortured and sometimes killed by police officers for minor traffic infractions or other incidents that should not end in death, Dancy said. Black said he has not yet received any communication back about the letter, but mentioned that it was only sent out on Saturday. Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. The officers pulled Bottom's arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. Represented By. The fourth officer named in the lawsuit is Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. Mance said that was one of the reasons Emancipate North Carolina opted to take on Bottoms case. An sexagenarian Black librarian claims she was assaulted and beaten by police officers and deputies during a traffic stop on a North Carolina highway in May 2019. Stephanie Bottom was making the six-hour trek from Atlanta to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend her aunts funeral. DEPUTY MARK BENFIELD. CNN has reached out to Rowan County Sheriff's Department for comment but has not yet heard back. The other officers named in the suit are Adam . According to the lawsuit, Bottom did not believe she was driving fast and did not think the police were trying to stop her. She says she had her music turned up loudly and was listening to tunes as she made the journey. I dont understand how they do it in Georgia, but thats not how its done here.. "We physically saw him go white as a ghost from the loss of blood, he was about to go into a faint stage, so we just stopped with all the talk and just carried on with the first aid.". I like to get all sides of the story, so Im asking to see what led up to that, Black said. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he "approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.". Officers then handcuffed Garcia, who police said "exhibited signs of being under the influence." She really didnt see three cop cars with lights and sirens? 2023001600. Police detective Devin Barkalow (now with DHS) jumps out of moving car with gun drawn to ticket 68 year old woman for 10 over.she is African American.surprise/surprise VT: No police nationally will stop a car for 80 on an interstate highway where the speedlimit is 70. When Bottom didn't immediately pull over, one of the officers making the traffic stop identified in the lawsuit as Salisbury Police Officer Devin Barkalow made statements recorded by his body. So why was it necessary to handle an old lady so aggressively when she is sitting in a car and there are a dozen other cops on the scene? Jacob Linn (1825-1878) was a gunsmith, business owner, Bexar County commissioner, landowner, and rancher. Bodycam footage showed Deputy Benfield hop out with his gun drawn as he and the other officers swarmed her car. Black said he would like to see an updated mission statement that features language pertaining to people like Bottom, who may only be visiting Rowan County or simply passing through. Bottom said she was listening to music loudly in her car and did not realize she was being pulled over, according to the lawsuit. It was late August, Officer Wilson and Detective Devin Barkalow rushed to the 700 block of Second Street where they saw a man leaning up against the front door of a duplex. Shouldnt have been stupid. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's side door, the officers grabbed Bottom by her arm and hair and pulled her from her vehicle to the ground, according to body camera footage. Bottom claims the officers refused to get her medical treatment even as she told them she was in pain, according to the lawsuit. 25.2k members in the USNEWS community. She was also charged with speeding and resisting arrest but those were dismissed. Bottom asks for a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages as well as court costs and attorneys fees. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. One of the officers named in the lawsuit, Devin Barkalow, declined to comment to the Charlotte Observer but no longer works for the police department. In this conversation. Wed write you a ticket. This mission encompasses functions of courthouse security, civil process, operation of detention facility, investigations and community patrol., Blotter: Man accused of armed robbery apprehended after short chase, Blotter: Victims in shooting discharged from hospitals, Monday morning car shooting leaves two hospitalized. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle. Despite that, authorities felt justified in threatening deadly force and physically assaulting the woman because she didnt pull over in a timely manner. AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Extra Time: Breaking down massive NYC, NYPD settlement, Teammate facing charges in crash that killed local UGA player, ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Artemis Moshtaghian, Melissa Alonso and Amanda Jackson. Anger is only one of the emotions I felt when I witnessed the video of what transpired between Ms. Stephanie Bottom and the officers in 2019. According to the Observer, Barkalow said he no longer works for the Salisbury Police Department. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com. Devin Barkalow is 36 years old, and lives in WI. Please, why are you doing this to me?, It was a simple traffic stop, thats all we had to do, Benfield told her. Press J to jump to the feed. Devin Barkalow is 36 years old and was born on 07/30/1985. Another officer involved in the traffic stop, only identified as Officer Smith, pulled ahead of Bottom and deployed spike strips that immediately immobilized her vehicle, the lawsuit says. Bottoms lawsuit was filed April 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Officers Barkalow and Adam Bouk and Deputy Mark Benfield then quickly approached with their guns drawn. Spiked her car to stop it. She alleges officers assaulted her and unlawfully searched her SUV during the chaotic ordeal. When she asked for medical assistance, she estimated that an hour elapsed before officers called for help, the lawsuit said. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Many people describe Scott Barkalow as someone who is willing to give anything to anyone, well now this US retired vet is on the receiving end of all the gifts. Bottom is suing the city of Salisbury, two of the citys police officers and a Rowan County sheriffs deputy who were involved in the May 30, 2019 incident. Derek Chauvin trial juror details courtroom experience, deliberations: 'You're watching somebody die on a daily basis'. source code | run your own mirror bot? As she was handcuffed on the side of the road, the officers searched her vehicle and purse without her consent, a warrant, or probable cause which violated Bottom's Fourth Amendment rights, the lawsuit says. One of the officers named in the lawsuit, Devin Barkalow, declined to comment to the Charlotte Observer but no longer works for the police department. BARKALOW LANDSCAPING LLC is a Wisconsin Domestic Limited-Liability Company filed on March 4, 2021. Officers had guns drawn When Bottoms didn't immediately pull over, one of the officers making the traffic stop identified in the lawsuit as Salisbury Police Officer Devin Barkalow made. They invoke such fear and distrust that we as a council have to think of a way in which we can respond, Heggins said. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246. When Bottom appeared in court, she pleaded guilty to the failure to heed blue lights charge. Officers with the Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police Department were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on Bottom, alleging she was driving 80 mph in a 70-mph zone, according to the suit. "I was doing what we train to do. It's unclear how close police were to Bottom's vehicle before she pulled over, as the footage only shows the inside of the police vehicle and the sky. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), School board questions why payroll issue took so long to resolve, Taking them back: Alumni cherish photo project, Salisbury High assembly, Medical marijuana passes in NC senate, Ford votes no, John Carr: Post switching to mail delivery next week. The Sheriff Offices current mission statement reads: To provide professional law enforcement to the citizens of Rowan County, North Carolina through efficient and effective methods. We know that North Carolina has really widespread and entrenched, pronounced racial disparities in terms of the way that black and white motorists are policed, he said. She appeared in court for the traffic violations, pleaded responsible to failure to heed blue lights, and the other charges against her were dismissed, according to the lawsuit. Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year-old from Georgia, filed a federal lawsuit in North Carolinas Middle District about her treatment at the end of a 14-mile chase involving local law enforcement officers on Interstate 85 in 2019. She was accused of refusing to get out of her vehicle and pulling away from the officer. The lawsuit denied those allegations. 1331 . After she cried for police to get her medical attention I am hurting really bad one of the officers on the scene congratulated his law enforcement colleagues on a job well done, according to the lawsuit. Among other things, the report states Bottom: failed to stop for blue lights and sirens for about 14 miles and through two counties, simply threw her hands into the air when a uniformed officer pulled along side of her and motioned for her to pull over.. I know she did not apparently have medical issues but they should have checked her over first before slamming her to the ground. Barkalow remembers how female cadets were hazed and harassed back then. This mission encompasses functions of courthouse security, civil process, operation of detention facility, investigations and community patrol.. A Salisbury police officer involved in the stop bragged about grabbing a handful of dreads, and said at that point she earned it,' the lawsuit said, citing footage from the officers body camera. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriffs Office could not be reached for comment by publication time. The company's filing status is listed as Organized and its File Number is B101474. Like the officers who leave their home not knowing if they will safely return, many of us feel the exact same way every single day. This was this was a very traumatic thing for her to go through, Mance said. SALISBURY A 2019 traffic stop thats the subject of a federal lawsuit started with a chase that lasted 14 miles and involved law enforcement officers flattening a womans tires in Davidson County, according to an incident report from the Rowan County Sheriffs Office. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. The man facing murder charges, 29-year-old John Calvin Sifford III, crashed his car and ran away in an attempt to flee the officers, according to Salisbury police. She was cruising northbound on Interstate 85 in her Toyota Sequoia. The force applied by the officers caused Bottom's "shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury," according to the lawsuit. SCOTT D. MACLATCHIE Hall Booth Smith, P.C. Bottom, an Atlanta librarian and grandmother of five, was driving to North Carolina for a relatives funeral when police stopped her vehicle after it was going 10 mph over the speed limit, according to a federal lawsuit she filed Wednesday. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he "approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.". Constitutional carry bill aims to eliminate handgun permits, Medic: Teen dead, driver seriously injured in crash on I-485 in west Charlotte, PLAN AHEAD: Latest Weather Forecast Video. Paramedics were eventually called to the scene. Many more people die in car accidents than because of guns and whatnot. Officers had their sirens on for at least 10 minutes, according to body camera footage that is cited in the lawsuit and was reviewed by CNN. Shouldnt have been stupid. Former Salisbury Police officer Devin Barkalow is accused of pulling Bottom out of the vehicle by her hair. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's side door, the officers grabbed Bottom by her arm and hair and pulled her from her vehicle to the ground, according to body camera footage. 2 State House Station Newcastle, ME 04553 Augusta, ME 04333-0002 Cell: (207) 975-3132 (207) 287-1400 TTY: (207) 287-4469 mick@mickdevin.org State Representative - CHLOE S. MAxMIN Capitol Address: Home Address: Bottom would later be charged with speeding, failure to heed to blue lights and resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer. Pretty soon, four male officers were involved in the chase. "We examined his legs and realized that both femoral arteries had been lacerated from the gunshot wounds. The video shows Salisbury Deputy Mark Benfield approaching Ms Bottom's car with his gun drawn before grabbing her hair and dragging her to the ground. The first of five demands listed in the Salisbury-Rowan NAACPs letter to local law enforcement is for the agencies to release the officers body camera video and the dash camera video in the traffic stop incident. And theyre the ones we fear the most.. Theyre so disturbing. How many more Black and brown people are going to be hurt and killed by the hands of officers, Miller said. Regina Dancy said she debated speaking about the issue for fear shed be perceived as anti-police, which she emphasized she is not, or an angry Black woman speaking out against racial injustice. Adam Bouk of the Salisbury Police Department placed a handcuff on Bottoms left hand and the right hand was cuffed with the assistance of two other officers, a sheriffs office narrative states. Jackie Miller said Bottom posed no threat to police officers during the incident. 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