Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Woman locks officer in basement during warrantless search, wins civil rights suit against police

As I recently noted, Baltimore PD has had its problems. And its image isn't improving. This local article explains the BPD's latest embarrassment:

In July 2009, [87-year-old Venus] Green's grandson, Tallie, was shot and wounded. Tallie said he was shot at a convenience store, but police insisted it happened inside Green's house and that the shooter was either Tallie or Green.

 

"Police kept questioning him. They wouldn't let the ambulance attendant treat him," Green said. "So, I got up and said, 'Sir, would you please let the attendants treat him? He's in pain,'" Green said.

 

Green said the officer said to her, "Oh, you did it, come on, let's go inside. I'll prove where that blood is. You did it."

 

Police wanted to go the basement, where Tallie lived, but Green refused on the basis that the police did not have a warrant.

 

"I said, 'No, you don't have a warrant. You don't go down in my house like that. He wasn't shot in here.'" Green said the officer replied, "I'm going to find that gun. I'm going to prove that you did it."

 

A struggle ensued between a male officer and Green [in which she suffered a separated shoulder].

 

"He dragged me, threw me across the chair, put handcuffs on me and just started calling me the 'b' name. He ridiculed me," Green said.

 

An officer went into the basement and Green locked him inside.

The city recently settled with Green because it doubted it could prevail in a case before a jury.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/civil_rights/2014/10/woman-locks-officer-in-basement-during-warrantless-search-wins-civil-rights-suit-against-police.html

Excessive Force, Fourth Amendment | Permalink

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