Video emerges of woman 911 caller forcefully strip searched in police custody

I have looked into this case for a year now and I have called a talked to a LOT of people involved in this.
This looks like O'Riley's people spell checked the sheriff's report and are putting it out as fact.

***The victim couldn't be identified? ***
Sure once the cops got there Steffey's niece tried to say Steffey was the guilty one.
But if that was the case why wasn't SHE the one that called 911?
Another interesting fact left out is that the BROTHER of Steffey's attacker is the one that called police ON HIS OWN SISTER!
Plus the fact they have everyone else there saying that Steffey was the VICTIM.

***Verbally assaulting the cop?***
Court testimony said that Steffey yelled in the direction of her niece that attacked her, the officer then told her to calm down, and according to ALL witnesses, including the officer, she did. Its what happens NEXT that is disputed.
The cop claims Steffey then started yelling at him, while witnesses claim that the cop started harassing Steffey about her dead sister and "pushing her buttons".

The witnesses claim she was NEVER told she was subject to arrest, and that the officer "exploded in rage" and attacked Steffey.
The officer had a body mic & remote control for the camera that HE COULD HAVE TURNED ON AT ANY TIME to document any of his accusations, but he testified at court that he "didn't feel the need" to turn it on.
But then when she’s in the back of the car & mad at him, he wants everyone to believe she was this way the WHOLE time.

In fact he never turned on his camera until people at the scene yelled to get a video camera of their own, because he was “beating her”. But this was never heard by the jury at her trial, it was only discovered by the grand jury investigation.

***She was highly intoxicated and out of control - even witnesses verified she was in this state.***

The witnesses couldn’t even agree on how intoxicated Steffey was, let alone the out of control accusation. The ONLY ones that said she was “highly” intoxicated were the cops. But then NO breathalyzer was ever done to produce evidence for the cop’s claims.
Steffey herself never denied that she had been drinking, but she also testified that after she was released she went to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a concussion.

Symptoms of a concussion include:
• Passing out.
• Not being able to remember what happened after the injury.
• Acting confused, asking the same question over and over, slurring words, or not being able to concentrate.
• Feeling lightheaded, seeing "stars," having blurry vision, or experiencing ringing in the ears.
• Not being able to stand or walk; or having coordination and balance problems.
• Feeling nauseous or throwing up.


***In the cell, she was asked if she would hurt herself, she said yes.***

For months the answer she was supposed to have given is “now or ever” to the question, she even testified to this at her trial, and it was NEVER disputed by the prosecutor, police, or ANY witnesses.
After the story blew up the sheriff then brought out a HIGHLY edited, enhanced, and out of context video…with audio only.
This video shows that Steffey was SARCASTIC, NOT suicidal. It also gives you an idea of why she was abused by the jail guards, just to punish her for being sarcastic.
I also called and requested an UN-edited copy of this to expose it for the manufactured evidence it is. The sheriff’s dept NOW claims it is medical evidence and they can NOT release it. Except they ALREADY HAVE released their version to the newspapers.

*** So, an emergency response team was called in - those are the men that are in the cell. That is when they began filming everything. Apparnetly, Emergency Response people can be men working w/ women.***

By LAW, men can’t be present during a strip search, body cavity search, or even supposed to be where they can SEE women in the showers, but Swanson’s “policy” ‘SAYS’ its ‘ok’ for men to not only VIEW a forced stripping naked of a woman in a ‘suicide prevention’

, they are allowed to PARTICIPATE and help remove her cloths! HUH? All these laws to keep men away, but Swanson wants us to believe that THIS “policy” he dreamed up is “OK”, because he SAYS so? Does this sound logical and reasonable? (Or moral?)
Also the sheriff is always quick to point out that they have "passed" state regulations. Making people think that the state somehow 'authorized' this treatment of prisoners. Nothing could be further from the truth! There is NO policy of having men strip women. It only states that a 'policy' has to be in place. This is what the state does, look that a policy is in place, NOT what that policy is. But please, don't believe me, just call them, ask for yourself.
Bureau of Adult Detention 614-752-1062 Butch Hunyadi


Also that is NOT when they began filming! The beginning of this video is still “missing”. The woman who shot the video has “no idea why everything wasn’t recorded”.
So the camera was working and THEN, just at the point Steffy says she was attacked it “stopped working”….and THEN, just as Steffy is forced to the bunk to be stripped….it started working again. How many times has this camera done this BEFORE this case? Or after this case?
And WHEN exactly did the beginning of the video go “missing”, because when I called the sheriffs dept at the beginning of May, they claimed that it would be released to Steffeys lawyers during discovery. So you can imagine how surprised I was when the grand jury investigators said it didn’t exist, just a couple months later.


*** According to their definition, a strip search involves a cavity search....that did not take place. Her clothing was removed by Emergency Response team due to procedure.***

Even in the video they DO have the camera swings away from Steffey during a “mat change”, HOW does ANYONE know what happened during that time?? And I haven’t been able to find out from ANYONE what they were doing to her while the camera is off of her.

A strip search involves a VISUAL cavity search, so the question is, did any of the cops look at her bare butt??


*** She was freaking out because she was highly intoxicated.***

Well I guess we should just take their word for this.
Are they freaking kidding?
You mean she wasn’t freaking out because the cops were assaulting her?? This has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

*** I believe it is all being investigated to see if she legally has a case against the cops, but the legal experts were saying she does not.***

What a joke! This case will NEVER go to a trial, but not because she doesn’t have a case, but because no authorities can afford to let it get to a trial.
There’s just TOO many conflicting versions, TOO much evidence "missing", a MONTHS long "investigation" that leaves too many questions, and too many illogical explanations for everything that was done.

And I have many more interesting stories about this case. I could write a book about these thugs at Stark County jail.

Sheriff Tim Swanson
Stark County Sheriff's Office
4500 Atlantic BLVD NE
Canton, Ohio 44705-4374
(330)/430-3800
[email protected]

BTW someone pointed out that the cops didn't look in the video as if this was any fun.

My answer to this is that they are not stupid, they DO know its being videoed, so listen to the last few seconds of the video...WHEN THEY THINK THE CAMERA IS OFF.

You can hear them start laughing.

This says volumes about their concern for Hope Steffey's safety.

Heres a link to the UN-edited strip video, or what they claim to have of it:

www.youtube.com...

Heres the latest on the Hope Steffey case:

www.wkyc.com...

Investigator Exclusive: Billboard encourages women to report jail abuse

STARK COUNTY -- A story that already has people talking nationwide is certain to get more attention with a billboard that encourages former female inmates to report jail abuse.

* Related story: Strip search of woman by Sheriff's Deputies called outrageous
* Related story: Sheriff breaks silence on controversial strip search case

The billboard along Route 62 near Root Avenue in Stark County was put up as a result of the civil lawsuit brought by Hope Steffey against Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson.

Steffey's clothes were forcibly removed by both male and female deputies and she was left completely naked inside the Stark county jail for six hours.

Sheriff Swanson says Steffey was considered suicidal so her clothes had to be removed for her own safety. Steffey has denied she was suicidal.

The woman's lawyers discovered during the lawsuit that at least 128 women between 1999 and 2007 were strip-searched or forced to remove their clothing or placed on suicide watch, homicide watch or "naked detention."

The lawyers were unable to obtain the names of these women due to privacy rights. They are using a billboard along a busy four lane road to encourage these women to come forward and to tell their stories.

"This is an honest attempt to find out what, if anything is happening inside that jail that violates constitutional rights," said David Malik, an attorney representing Steffey.

Sheriff Swanson said the billboard is "no big deal." He went on to say that he has nothing to hide and called Steffey's lawyers desperate.

Both sides are preparing for a trial in federal court which is scheduled to begin this summer.

For all related stories, click the links provided on the right.

y'all know it is a crime to give police officers false identification right? I am not saying that it was right for them to forcibly strip search this lady, but I am saying that she in fact commited a crime by giving the officers false identification.

Wow. This is our police force?


Are these people still officers? Still employed?

Justice is a joke. I'd be in jail the rest of my life if that had been my family.

**wrong thread

[edit on 13-3-2009 by siFtInG]

A Cut & Paste for ya:

This is the BCI report that Agent Christy S. Palmer sent to John D. Ferrero, Prosecuting Attorney Stark County Ohio.
Dated April 16, 2008 BCI Case #: SI-76-08-14-0147

This is part of page 3

s2.photobucket.com...

Sheriff Swanson has ALWAYS maintained that Steffey was ASKED & REFUSED to remove her cloths.

But here’s the BCI’s OWN REPORT that PROVES this is a LIE!

And then they try to explain away their first lie with another lie, about why it was done this way without asking Steffey to do it voluntarily.

They are trying to say that Steffey was resisting enough that EIGHT people (5 women, 3 men) couldn't take the chance of ASKING her to remove her cloths, or EVEN TELL HER WHAT WAS GOING ON!!!
What a crock!!

I did NOT see any resisting in the video, I saw eight cops parading her to the cell, with her in cuffs.

In fact EVERY video I have seen she is in cuffs!
And the ONLY times I have seen her react to the cops is after they have assaulted her or in the process of stripping her naked.

But apparently catching the sheriff's dept in a lie isn't a big deal to our "independent" BCI investigator, Christy Palmer, who seems ready to accept ANY excuse the sheriff's dept wants to use.

The report also goes on to say that they lowered Steffey in a slow controlled manner to the floor. Except that Steffey says she was thrown to the floor.
She also told her husband in a phone call that she thought the cops had broken her nose.
And she was treated by the nurse for the injury.
And in page 4 of this report Christy Palmer even states that Steffey reported that her nose was making "crunching noises".

So I guess this is proof of a second LIE! (Or third)

And still Christy Palmer, the "independent investigator" doesn’t think twice about accepting the word of the cops over the VICTIMS in spite of proof.
BTW, Christy also references a video that she says “proves that she was lowered in a slow controlled manner to the floor”. As far as I know, THIS would have to be on the 'non-existent' beginning of the strip video.
On May 5th when I asked about the "missing" video, I was told it would soon be released.
Now here again it looks as though it’s referenced...even though they NOW claim it does not exist.
Interesting. (I have filed a request for this video.)

This isn’t so much an investigation report as it is a smear campaign against Hope Steffey.

The cops can polish this turd as much as want, this STILL STINKS!

BTW I don't know why they bothered to black out the names of Nurse Coren Lennon and the jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz, aren't they PROUD of the work they do?

Originally posted by whatukno
y'all know it is a crime to give police officers false identification right? I am not saying that it was right for them to forcibly strip search this lady, but I am saying that she in fact commited a crime by giving the officers false identification.

She didn't give the cop the PHOTO ID, with the intent of passing herself off as her dead sister.

Even the cop testified to that at her trial.

I have her court transcripts, and some other information. I have looked into this case for a LONG time.

Her lawsuit has been delayed at least 3 times now. I have been told that her lawyers are in negotiations with the county insurance company. And the last date I have heard about for the trial is in July.

But I guarantee you this will NEVER see a trial, there is NO WAY the cops will let this go to court, or everyone would KNOW this was all a BS arrest and 'suicide prevention'.

Theres just TOO many conflicting versions, TOO much evidence "missing", a MONTHS long "investigation" that leaves too many questions, and too many illogical explanations for everything that was done.

I gotta bump this thread.

I saw the video for the first time yesterday.
I disturbed me to the core. Couldn't even watch it to the end.
Her screams of fear and panic...it just haunts me so bad.

See how many people are involved in this act of de-humanization?
No one thinks that something is wrong.
This is not the time, place or method of full cavity search. This is just to humiliate and destruct a human being.

Can't they hear and see that she is in total dismay?
This must, truly, be what they want to achieve.
Ice-cold, methodically, purposeless. Just for the hell of it.
Why the hell do they film it? To sit and laugh at afterwards?
This is a prime example of sub-human behaviour.

And you wonder why people acted like they did in Abu Ghraib?
Or in Auschwitz?

What kind of inhumane look on life does these people have?
Are they just common criminals; rapists and violators, only that now they are safe from prosecution?

I don't have much more to add, but I needed the ventilation.
This video has haunted me badly and I just had to write it off.
Not that it feels any better.

Does anyone know how this story ended?

They will get what they deserve in the after-life. Be so sure.

Originally posted by Raud
Couldn't even watch it to the end.
Her screams of fear and panic...it just haunts me so bad.

To sit and laugh at afterwards?

Does anyone know how this story ended?

This video has gotten to me too. I don't see how it could NOT get to anyone.

And yes they laughed afterwards, and I have the video to PROVE IT!
Plus they had a pervert in a white shirt hanging around her cell all the while and afterwards.

www.youtube.com...


This story hasn't "ended" yet....heres an update:

The county's insurance is in negotiations with Steffey's lawyers. (Probably arguing numbers)

The FBI is "investigating", but they seem to be getting their "evidence" from the same place as the BCI did, the sheriff's dept, so no hope there.

I have heard that the Ohio Atty General is investigating this again, but haven't heard anything.

And the Bureau of Adult Detention is supposed to be changing the policies of the jails.

reply to post by xmotex

Authoritarian pervs love strip searches

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of these stories surfacing lately. With school officials and law enforcement. I wonder if it is more frequent or if the victims just feel more comfortable about coming forward.

UPDATE:

www.youtube.com...

Ok heres a video you won't see on the news either. This is some of what I got from the BCI "investigation" that the state had.

Heres the cops taking Steffey to the cell to strip her naked.

The quality of the video is pretty bad. It will seem to 'skip' frames for quite a while in some places, but then take a bunch in a row at other times. Why it does this, I don't know.
All the cameras at the sheriff's dept seem to be in bad shape and "malfunction" right at critical moments.

I had to cut this video in half, it was 20 minutes long, from the time they took her in to the time they left the hall in front of her cell. So I cut off the front of it when they took her in.
Heres a link to the whole thing that should be good for a while:
rapidshare.com...

WHY does it take 20 minutes outside the hall to show a "suicide prevention" that only took 4 min?

The building camera, seems to skip a lot of frames, so you'd think it would be a shorter video.

But as you can see after they have closed up the cell after assaulting her, they all stand around and have a good laugh, so this will add some more time to the video.

As you can see from the video the big dufass in the white shirt, he stays at the door to the cell looking in all the time Steffey was being assaulted, and then he stays back around her cell afterwards, looking in....GEE, I wonder WHY?
Then afterwards he's joined by another officer who didn't get a chance to help strip Steffey and he starts walking down to have a look too.

WHY DON'T THEY JUST SELL TICKETS?!?!?!?

BUT THEN the camera seems to malfunction, it goes to multi colors, and the next thing you see is a empty hall. (At the SAME time frame.)
WOW, .....MORE "missing" video from Stark County Sheriff's Dept.

Please support Hope Steffey and possibly YOUR family, contact these people and get this abuse STOPPED!!

Governor Strickland
(614) 466-3555, Fax: (614) 466-9354
www.governor.ohio.gov...

Senator Voinovich
(800) 205-6446, Fax: (216) 522-7097
voinovich.senate.gov...

Senator Brown
(202) 224-2315, Fax: (202) 228-6321
brown.senate.gov...

Congressman Boccieri
(330) 489-4414, Fax: (330) 489-4448
boccieri.house.gov...

U.S. Attorney General Holder, (202) 353-1555
www.usdoj.gov...

Ohio Attorney General Cordray, (877) 244-6446
www.ag4ohio.gov...

Stark County Sheriff, (330) 430-3800, [email protected]
www.sheriff.co.stark.oh.us...

Office of the Ohio Attorney General
(614) 466-4320

Correctional Healthcare Group
Jonathan Stump
330-454-6766
====


Pictures of all the cops smiling after they have assaulted Hope Steffey outside her cell.
They seem really amused at her screams and begging them to stop.

i2.photobucket.com...
i2.photobucket.com...
i2.photobucket.com...

And heres a picture of a cop on the way to strip Steffey, he's doing a "tagoff" to one of the other officers, while it looks as though he is following behind the nurse Coren Lennon.

i2.photobucket.com...

====
Heres a news article that mentions Stark County Jail:

toledoblade.com.../20090511/NEWS16/905110319


That same year, the numbers were much lower in the Montgomery County jail in Dayton, where 38,750 inmates were housed and there were no suicide attempts or assaults.

Much higher numbers were reported from the Stark County jail in Canton, where 11,761 inmates were housed and where there were 14 serious suicide attempts and 89 inmate-on-inmate assaults.