The actions of officers who abuse their power makes it hard for individuals to trust law enforcement. Here's why. Find Stephanie Bottoms's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. WebFOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA Civil Action No. Once it became clear they wanted her to pull over she was afraid and was looking for a safe place to pull over, Holmes told CNN in an email. By Associated Press and Holden Walter-warner For Dailymail.com, Published: 21:04 EST, 22 April 2021 | Updated: 13:58 EST, 23 April 2021. In a statement to the media, the Salisbury Police Department said it was unable to comment on pending litigation but that it strives "for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where (police) may suspect criminal activity.". Have a tip we should know? The lawsuit filed Wednesday by Stephanie Bottom of Atlanta says she posed no threat to officers from the Salisbury Police Department and the Rowan County Once on the ground, officers twisted Bottom's arm behind her back, causing her 'shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury,' the lawsuit said. She was also unable to work for eight months following the injuries she suffered and still primarily uses her right arm to stack bookshelves, as she struggles to raise her left hand over her head. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle. 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. PO Box 309 North Carolina Central Eagles (16-11, 9-4 MEAC) at South Carolina State Bulldogs (5-24, 2-11 MEAC) Orangeburg, South Carolina; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: North Carolina Central faces the (Hicks, Samantha), CASE REFERRED to Mediation pursuant to Local Rule 83.9b of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of this Court. WebFound 17 records for Stephanie Austin in North Carolina. Ms. Bottom wasnt even arrested. According to an ABC 7 News article, Bottom 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.. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. The force applied by the officers caused Bottoms shoulder to pop, tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury, according to the lawsuit. As Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Benfield and Barkalow approached her vehicle they had their guns drawn and pointed at her, according to the lawsuit. (Hicks, Samantha), Case ASSIGNED to JUDGE WILLIAM L. OSTEEN, JR and MAG/JUDGE JOI ELIZABETH PEAKE. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Show our community and nation that law enforcement who enforce the law, must also abide by the same law.. ', 'Won't somebody think of the fentanyl dealers?' This week, we watched as a 2019 traffic stop video surfaced of officers from Rowan County Sheriffs Office and Salisbury Police Department using excessive force to arrest Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year-old Black librarian from Atlanta, wrote Gemale Black, President of the Salisbury-Rowan chapter of the NAACP in a statement. Link Copied! Email Address Here. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Her requests for medical assistance were ignored even though she said she was in pain. Emancipate NC Nationwide Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year old Black woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, has filed a lawsuit claiming that police officers used excessive force on her during a traffic stop two years ago that caused her severe injuries. When she realized officers were following her, she tried to pull over 'somewhere safe where Id be around lights and people,' but she alleges spike strips were used to stop her car instead. Close. 'Why are you doing this to me,' she asks. Medicaid to cut 14 MILLION Americans from health coverage as states crack down on eligibility for the first time in three years after numbers soared during COVID - so are you at risk? Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Bottom was driving from Atlanta to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend her aunts funeral. Instead, she was handcuffed and the officers searched her car and purse without consent, warrant, or probable cause, which violated Bottoms Fourth Amendment rights, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. 23 South Carolina baseball team continued its unbeaten start to the 2023 season in an 11-3 victory over North Carolina A&T Tuesday afternoon at Founders Park. The officers, from the Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriffs Department, pulled Bottom over as she drove to a funeral. Posted by 10 months ago. The local NAACP chapter called for the release of the bodycam footage, a transparent investigation, a review of current policies, creation of new policies, and for the Rowan County Sheriffs office to update its mission statement. 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. An officer declined the request, but paramedics later took Bottom to a hospital, the Charlotte Observer reported. As an organization, we are dedicated to shifting the narrative on racialized mass incarceration through community education and mobilization. Stephanie Bottom filed a federal lawsuit against NC police claiming officers violated her rights by using excessive force. Stephanie Bottom was admittedly going 10 miles over the speed limit on May 30, 2019 in North Carolina. 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 Bottoms Fourth Amendment rights, the lawsuit says. Bottom then tells the officers she has a shoulder injury and is in pain while handcuffed, leading her to ask that the cuffs be removed. A 66-year-old librarian is suing police in North Carolina for allegedly using excessive force during a 2019 traffic stop in which she says she was thrown to the ground. Bottom later pleaded guilty to failing to heed blue lights, while two other charges of speeding and resisting arrest were ultimately dropped, the newspaper reported. [She] did not pose a threat to [the officers] or anyone else as she had her hands up as she attempted to exit the vehicle. As is standard, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.. Mark Walhberg is SLAMMED for presenting SAG Award to Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once following his hate crime conviction for assaulting Asian men, Emily Blunt looks incredible in a red figure hugging gown as she cosies up to husband John Krasinski on the red carpet, SAG Awards' best dressed stars! Norfolk State Spartans (20-8, 9-3 MEAC) at North Carolina Central Eagles (15-11, 8-4 MEAC) Durham, North Carolina; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Norfolk State plays the North Carolina Central The force applied by the officers caused Bottom's "shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury," according to the lawsuit. 2023 Cable News Network. WebStephanie Bottom is a 68-year-old black woman who is suing the North Carolina police for using excessive force during a traffic stop in May 2019. noticed the blue lights of a Sheriff Deputys vehicle. Another angle appears to show an officer grabbing Bottom by her hair when yanking her from the car. 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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright Salisbury city officials declined to comment on Bottoms lawsuit, but told the outlet that its police department always strives for positive interactions with residents and visitors, including those suspected of criminal activity. 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 The officers pulled Bottom's arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. An officer tells her she refused to stop for law enforcement. 'White privilege and entitlement:' NC city official fired after refusing to address woman by doctoral title. Bottom wantspunitive damages, compensatory damages, attorneys fees and other costs. 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 camera that Bottom was a "f**king retard" and a "douche bag," according to the body camera footage. Prison is state-sponsored violence. Within seconds of arriving at her drivers 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. 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. Instead of issuing a ticket, two of the officers grabbed Bottom by her arm and her hair and threw her out of the vehicle and onto the ground. But officers approached her vehicle with guns drawn and later violated her rights by using excessive force, the lawsuit said. As officers search the car - which Bottom alleges she did not consent to - one explains that three police cars have been following her for around 10 miles, which Bottom agreed with, as officers explain how she was speeding. Stephanie Bottom was admittedly going 10 miles over the speed limit on May 30, 2019 in North Carolina. Stephanie Bottom said she was driving to North Carolina for a funeral when she was pulled over for suspected speeding. Black librarian Stephanie Bottom pulled by hair, injured by police in Salisbury, North Carolina, lawsuit says. Nationwide Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year old Black woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, has filed a lawsuit claiming that police officers used excessive force on Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. According to the lawsuit, Bottom did not believe she was driving fast and did not think the police were trying to stop her. (Hicks, Samantha). The No. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he "approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.". Ms. She later had surgery for the injury, but it did not fully repair the shoulder, according to the lawsuit, and now there is permanent damage. Bottom, from Atlanta, Georgia, was driving to her great aunt's funeral when police pulled her over in May 2019 - but footage has only now been shared of the incident. Web22 records for Stephanie Bottoms. Eventually, Bottom received medical attention at the scene and was taken to the hospital, the lawsuit says. Browse Locations. They have also lived in Willow Spring, NC and Raleigh, NC. Officers Barkalow and Bouk picked up by her arms, inflicting additional pain to her shoulder, forced her to stand and put her in the back of a patrol car, according to the lawsuit. Derek Chauvin trial juror details courtroom experience, deliberations: 'You're watching somebody die on a daily basis'. A 68-year-old Atlanta librarian is suing police in Salisbury, North Carolina, claiming excessive force during a 2019 traffic stop. Phone Number: A pirate at heart, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Political Science at East Carolina University. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A University of North Carolina student used some area knowledge to advance in Jeopardy's High School Reunion Tournament. In the footage, Bottom is seen screaming as Benfield, Barkalow, and Salisbury Police Officer Adam Bouk force her to lay face down on the ground, according to the lawsuit. Bottom had surgery to repair the tear but the injury prevents her from raising her left arm above her head, according to the suit. Bodycam footage from the incident shows officers approach Bottom's vehicle with guns drawn. I was just driving, Bottom says. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. Police pull Black woman by hair, injure her shoulder in traffic stop. Close. were aware of her general age based on their radio communications. After allegedly pulling her out of her car by her hair, Bottom was left on the ground. Get a complete background report of Stephanie Austin at LocatePeople with phone, address, email, criminal, court and arrest records. 'Within five seconds of arriving at her drivers side door with guns drawn, Defendants Benfield and Barkalow grabbed Plaintiff by her arm and hair and threw her from her Toyota Sequoia to the ground,' the lawsuit says. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the alleged use of excessive force and unlawful search of the plaintiff's purse and vehicle. Get notified of updates. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? McElroy also declined to comment on the pending litigation. The officers also say it could've been a simple traffic stop before putting the onus of the current incident on her. WebStephanie Smith is a student in the MBA program at North Carolina Central University . While following behind Plaintiff, Defendant [Devin] Barkalow made statements recorded by his body camera that Plaintiff was a fucking retard and douche bag. He exclaimed that this was an exciting chase, and he was at the edge of my seat.. We are all complicit in its harms. An officer then asks Bottom at one point if she had consumed alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel, which she denies, the footage shows. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. After the search, officers told Bottom to stand, but she said she couldnt due to the pain in her shoulder, according to the suit. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. (Garland, Leah), Motion Referred: RE: #3 APPLICATION to Proceed IFP to MAG/JUDGE JOI ELIZABETH PEAKE. 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