Don’t Fall in Shreveport
February 21st, 2008
A Shreveport police officer has been fired after an incident in which a female prisoner taken into custody on suspicion of DUI wound up lying on a floor at the police station in a pool of blood.
A large portion of what happened was recorded on a videotape - but ironically, there is a gap of undetermined length. During that time, the woman wound up injured. She said she was beaten up; the officer said she fell.
The woman is Angie Garbarino of Shreveport, LA. She was clearly argumentative when she was brought to the DUI unit’s office last November. The videotape shows she did not want to listen to Officer Wiley Willis as he read her rights. She was insistent on making a phone call and said so repeatedly.
Yeah, that phone call. What we normally refer to as a RIGHT. Ms Garbarino specifically mentions the names of attorneys AND another police officer that she wanted to contact.
At one point, the videotape shows that Angie tried to leave the room but was stopped by the officer and then handcuffed. Given the circumstances, this certainly seems reasonable.
But, from there, the situation escalated and the videotape shows the officer push the woman against the wall, after which she fell to the floor crying and telling him not to touch her.
For reasons that should be obvious, she later tried to leave the room again and had to be restrained when she resisted.
Then the mystery begins… What happened next was outside the view of the camera but the woman can be heard hitting the wall and screaming before she is placed back in a chair.
Seconds later, the tape is conveniently turned off as the officer apparently prepares to take her and book her. It is not known what happened while the tape was off, but when it was turned back on Garbarino was lying on the floor on her side in a pool of blood.
Willis turns her on her back and tells her, “Lay down; don’t move,” the videotape shows.
“I can’t believe you just did what you just did. I really can’t”, she said.
The officer left the room. Another officer came in shortly after that to look at Garbarino and then left. At some point, a Fire Department ambulance crew was called. They took her to the hospital.
Ms Garbarino’s lawyer, Ron Miciotto, said she suffered a broken nose, a severe cut on her forehead, two broken teeth and bruises on her arms and shoulder. Pictures taken of her later show two severely bruised eyes, as well as other bruises.
Willis was finally fired in early February 2008 for what officials said was his handling of the incident. No criminal charges were filed accusing him of injuring the woman.
Willis said she slipped and fell and hit her head.
Here’s the short version:
“It was something that needed to be handled internally”, Police Chief Henry Whitehorn said of the decision not to file charges against the officer. “There was not enough (evidence) to pursue criminal charges.”
Willis’ attorney, Eron Brainard, said Willis did not beat the woman. Her injuries, he said, happened when she fell while trying to leave the room again.
Yeah… OK. “Although very unfortunate, her injuries were caused by her own erratic behavior and her failure to comply with lawful, reasonable and standard instruction for arrested persons”, Brainard said.
Nope. No excessive force there…
For those that are interested, here’s the full version - in 5 parts:
March 15th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
The whole damn police department should be fired in Shreveport, LA. Just makes one wonder if the guys wearing the badges in Shreveport, LA have an after hours party dressing up in white sheets and pointy white hats.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I agree with your first comment Penguin… All of these assholes should have been fired - or at least everyone that was aware of the situation and tried to cover it up - and their supervisors.
The sad representation of law enforcement in the United States is not limited to Shreveport. There really are some excellent police officers out there - the problem is that the bad ones are not dealt with harshly, or swiftly, enough.
If this girl had come out of my house looking this way, I’d be in jail. But, a cop gets suspended with pay. WTF?
I’m not sure about the white sheets and pointy white hats though. This doesn’t seem to me, on the surface, as race related. Seems more like a cop really pissed off about the size of his penis. I’d like to see him try this on a man his size, and without the handcuffs of course.
March 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I emailed Cedric B. Glover the Mayor of Shreveport about this incident requesting Henry Whitehorn Shreveport’s chief of police should step down if he had any common decency. Glover replied back in a matter of minutes. Here is Mayor Cedric B. Glover response, “One thing more common than decency is idiocy, and you sir, have it in Aces.” It is really not kind of answer I was expecting. I figured if he would respond at all it would be with some canned form letter written by the city’s PR person. Mayor Glover’s response concerns me. His response gives a subtle indication that he thinks the actions by Shreveport’s police officers were justified in this matter.
And one more aspect of this incident which strikes me odd. Why hasn’t the Attorney Generals Office of Louisiana been more proactive into looking into this case. Doesn’t anyone have any rights at in Louisiana? Out of the 45 web sites I have looked at today, there is no mention of the LA AG anywhere.
I am appalled as well that the police officer committing the act of violence on this woman was not prosecuted.
Thanks for turning me onto this news topic!
March 20th, 2008 at 8:48 am
How about posting your letter to the mayor so we can see if he’s right.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
My daughter in Ohio forwarded this to me because she knows how I feel about wife beaters and men in general that beat women. I am appalled! This is so far over disgusting - that it leaves me lost for words. I do not believe there is punishment enough for someone who has done what this police officer has clearly done! God Bless this poor lady, and I pray she has no further run ins with the police of Shreveport! It appears she is lucky to have survived the first time! There is nothing she could have possibly done that would have deserved this type of cruelty being inflicted upon her. I too believe the officer must have a problem with the size of his penis, and he has decided to take it out on women! I’d love to see him take on a man his size also. I bet he’s a huge coward!
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:53 am
There is a petition online to press charges against him, we need 2000 votes but only have 720. Please post this link next to the video so people can sign!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/The-case-of-Angela-Garbarino
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:29 am
Thanks for this info Katie. Just sent you an email as well…