Carlos Miller
The horrific video of Stark County sheriff deputies ripping the clothes off of Hope Steffey as she screeches in bloodcurdling protest is shocking on its own.
But the fact that some people on the Internet have defended the deputies’ behavior is truly mind-boggling.
Especially considering that it is obvious the deputies violated departmental policy by having two male deputies participate in ripping off her clothes.
Stark County Sheriff Timothy A. Swanson defends the deputies’ actions by claiming it was not a “strip search”, but an attempt to protect Steffey from injuring herself.
Too bad nobody was there to protect Steffey from the ravaging hands of deputies.
Swanson is refusing to release additional video from that evening.
And there is no doubt there is additional video because footage from a jailhouse surveillance camera shows a deputy filming the scene as deputies escort Steffey to her cell, according to Part 2 of the news story aired on WKYC-TV in Canton, Ohio, which has been doing an excellent job exposing this incident.
Neither part 1 or 2 of Channel 3’s videos have been discussed in the mainstream media outside of Ohio.
But it has spread like wildfire on the Internet since the video was first posted on Youtube.com Friday night, where it received more than 53,000 views in 48 hours. And that was on a weekend, when things are usually slow on the Internet.
Just to give you an example of some of the things being said on the Internet:
Wow. I can’t believe how much you guys are throwing a fit over this. The LEOs knew two things:
1) She was trying to get someone arrested and prosecuted for a violent offense for which he would probably end up imprisoned and beat/raped.
2) She was lying to them.And you think that they’re wrong for what they did?! What the effin eff?!
posted by jock@law at 6:52 PM on www.metafilter.com
I guess we can’t expect much from a guy who calls himself “jock@law”.
The irony of this incident is that the video was filmed by the deputies themselves, no doubt to protect themselves to lawsuits.
Either that or to satisfy some sadistic fetish in which they get off on watching a sobbing and screaming woman withering naked and handcuffed on the jail cell floor.
Steffey’s ordeal began the night of Oct. 20th, 2006 when she was involved in some type of altercation with her cousin. Another cousin called 911, reporting that Steffey had been assaulted. When Stark County Deputy Richard T. Gurlea arrived on the scene, he asked for Steffey’s ID.
She gave him her deceased sister’s driver license, which she had been carrying in her wallet as a memento. When she realized her mistake, she asked for it back, but the deputy refused.
It is understandable why the deputy became suspicious. Especially considering there have been so many cases of stolen identification over the years. But there is hardly a resemblance between Steffey and her sister, judging by a picture that was broadcast on the news segment.
And the fact that Steffey handed Gurnea her real ID seconds later should have also been an indicator that she was not trying to pass off as her deceased sister.
And even if Steffey was acting irrational and belligerent, which is understandable considering she just had a patch of her hair pulled out by her cousin, not to mention that she was being treated as a suspect, Gurlea needed to maintain patience, professionalism and prudence in order to prevent the situation from escalating.
But Gurlea did the complete opposite, according to the lawsuit.
Gurlea suddenly exploded into a rage, and without provocation turned towards Hope and slammed Hope’s face into the cruiser, breaking one of Hope’s teeth. Gurlea then pinned Hope against his cruiser with his pelvic area and said, “are you going to stop?” Gurlea twisted Hope’s arm high up behind her back, causing Hope to react in pain.
Gurlea then picked Hope off the ground and slammed her, face first, into the dirt road, causing Hope’s nose to hit hard against the ground and causing cuts and bruises. Hope’s chest and lungs were jammed into the ground by the entire weight of Gurlea’s body and knees. Blood began streaming down Hope’s face and neck. With his knees in Hope’s back, Gurlea once again asked “are you going to stop, are you going to
be good?”
Judging by what we’ve seen in the video, this scenario is not hard to believe. Once they arrived at the jail, she was whisked into a room and asked if she had ever thought of harming herself. When she answered, “now or ever?”:
Hope’s legs were knocked out from under her and her face was jammed hard into the floor. No warning was given and no words were spoken by Hope’s assailants. Written authorization for the strip search of Hope Steffey, pursuant to law and policy, was never obtained by the Sheriff’s Office or by any of the John or Jane Does.
Even if Steffey had displayed suicidal behavior, the deputies handled it in the most unprofessional and criminal manner, judging by the deputies behavior on that video. This was, as Steffey’s husband described it, “rape without penetration”.
The fact is, jails throughout the United States need to be professionally trained to deal with suicidal inmates. And most have clear guidelines that do not call for leaving a prisoner naked in their cell for six hours. And even if they don’t have guidelines in place, most are able to deal with suicidal inmates with common sense, unlike the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.
Here is an exert from a 1989 New York Times article about how many jails did not have clear guidelines in handling suicidal patients at the time:
Chief Joseph L. Delaney of the Paramus Police, whose department processes as many as 50 prisoners a week in a detention area consisting of seven cells, said: ”In a detention cell, certain basics have to be provided, such as a toilet, running water, heat and clothing.
But if I feel that someone is suicidal and is going to attempt something before I can get him or her to the county jail or the county hospital for psychiatric evaluation, we’ll strip them of their clothes and provide a heavy paper-type jump suit that if used in an attempt at hanging, it will not support a person’s weight.”
The fact that Steffey was left naked for six hours in a cell is not much different than the incidents that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq a few years ago, which resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of seven American soldiers.
Perhaps these deputies are veterans of the Iraq War, suffering from some sadistic form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
If that’s the case, then God help us because we’re in for the long-haul.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Fernandez, as I mentioned in a
43 responses so far ↓
1 Ms Calabaza // Feb 4, 2008 at 6:51 am
This is sick, but not surprising. Have you ever had the occasion to see who they hire to work in these jails? If you think this is bad, check out who are hired in nursing homes, and residential facilities for emotionally disturbed kids. Many of these employees are given fancy little titles like mental health techs and are paid $8 to $9 an hour. They don’t have an ounce of education on treatment but many of them become
“experts” overnight. In my experience in dealing with them, I found two types: One, the ones that wanted to become the patient’s friend by bringing them cigarettes, beer, etc., or in the alternative the power-hungry who picked on certain patients giving them demerits and taking away privileges just because they could. Many times the people working in these facilities are more pathological than the patients and/or inmates. God save us or any of our loved ones from ending up in such a place.
2 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 3:40 pm
OK I watched it. Here’s the thing. Being a smart ass is fine with your family and friends. When dealing with police? Not a good strategy. “Yes, sir. No, sir.” That’s it. Answer questions calmly and clearly. Provide whatever documentation they request — and not a frick’n fake ID that belonged to your dead sister. I don’t care how screwed up you are on drugs and alcohol — that kind of action is guaranteed to get you arrested.
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When they ask if you are suicidal just say NO. K? No. This woman has a terminal case of dumb-ass. It doesn’t make the officers right, but it will be the death of her if she doesn’t learn how to behave like a normal, law abiding citizen. The tramp stamp just above her rear end, cat fighting with her cousin, belligerent to the officer when he arrived, handing him a fake ID, I’m guessing she has had prior run ins, god only knows what she said or did to the officer to start the badness rolling. Cops are human beings. There are good ones and bad ones. The ones in that film did not look like they were having fun with her.
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I’m torn on this one.
3 Carlos Miller // Feb 4, 2008 at 4:09 pm
FerfelaBat,
While it might be common sense to simply do what police tell you to do, when they tell you to do it, or else be prepared for a beating, it really doesn’t say much for our rights as citizens.
Cops are human beings, but they also need to have professionalism and responsibility when wearing the badge.
It means they have to be patient when dealing with irrational citizens. It means they have to keep their tempers in check.
While there are many cops who do abide by this professionalism, there are far too many that are unable to control their temper.
This makes them just as irrational as the civilians they are dealing with. This does nothing to diffuse the situation at hand.
She was ultimately charged with “disorderly conduct” and “resisting arrest”, so the fact that she was carrying her sister’s ID or fighting with her cousin were not taken into account when they wrote the arrest report.
As far as her priors go, I did an online check over the weekend, basing it only in her county, and all she had were a couple of speeding tickets and a DUI about ten years ago, if I remember correctly.
There was nothing that indicated she was a habitual offender.
And what does her tattoo have anything to do with anything? Many cops have tattoos.
I’m really surprised that you, as a woman, are torn with this one because as a man, I felt violated watching that video.
4 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 4:50 pm
If I were a woman cop dealing with a screaming lunatic who had already been in a recent fight, I would want help handling her from a guy. I would not want to be a cop because I don’t want to have to walk into situations like the call that came in on this case. Domestic disputes always always suck ass because there are no innocent parties except the little kids. That’s not just a tattoo. That is a tramp stamp. Tattoos are not cause for arrest, but certain tattoos say something about the person who has had one placed on their body for display. Bikers have symbols indicating how many people they’ve killed, how many women they’ve raped, raping a cop is a special symbol. Tramp stamps? Say something about the person you are dealing with and it’s not a fine upstanding citizen character rec. I don’t believe her handing the cop her sister’s ID was an accident. He probably ran it, called her on her BS and demanded her real ID. From that point on she was going to jail. Should she have been treated the way she was treated? I don’t know. I wasn’t there.
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Just because she is female — doesn’t mean I immediately feel sorry for her. Women can be far meaner and more violent than men. There are women who believe that being female means they should be treated like ladies. You have to act like a lady to be treated like one. Many women fail to understand that.
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I don’t trust the news. It has been eaten by the ratings monster. I want to believe what I see but I find that the amount of truth in a story is always inversely proportional to the degree of outrage it generates. By that formula, this story is probably 80% BS.
5 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 4:55 pm
“I would want help handling her from a guy. ” I mean a much bigger, much stronger guy. And I say that because odds are she will suffer far less damage.
6 Carlos Miller // Feb 4, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Regardless of what led up to the arrest, nothing justifies them tearing off her clothes.
Especially male deputies. That is not only a departmental policy violation at Stark, but it any other jail in the United States.
And nothing justifies them leaving her naked in the cell for six hours, which is something the sheriff admits.
Perhaps there is more to the story, but the sheriff is not helping us see the rest of the story because he refuses to release the rest of the video.
And tattoos no longer have the same social stigma they once had. Almost every female under the age of 25 has what you call a “tramp stamp”. It’s a fashion statement or something.
And if she was being so combative where they couldn’t handle her, don’t you think they would have charged her with assault on a police officer?
7 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I guess we’ll eventually find out. And I don’t call it a “tramp stamp” it IS called a Tramp Stamp. And. If you get out of Miami, you will find it’s not a common. Very sexy in a bikini and in the low rise jeans with thong underwear showing. Tramp Stamp. That’s what it’s called. Men and women don’t pierce their tongues to help them eat food either.
8 Carlos Miller // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:21 pm
When I lived in Arizona, it seemed as if all the girls had those tattoos. I don’t really notice them as much here. Or maybe I’ve just become oblivious to them.
Or more likely, I’m not hitting the party circuits like I used to.
And as far as the tongue piercing goes, I can assure you that a piece of cold metal on a woman’s tongue actually negates from the stimulatory response.
9 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Seriously? Then why do they get them pierced? A dentist friend told me that they get a lot of dental repair business because those barbells break teeth. There has to be some good reason to get one to risk all that damage and pain.
10 Carlos Miller // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Maybe some guys like them. Or most likely, think they like them because it’s different.
But there is a reason why the tongue is used in place of other body parts in certain intimate acts. It’s soft. It’s moist. It’s sensuous.
But by placing a cold piece of metal on it, it negates the experience.
It’s basically having a foreign object between the tongue and body part.
11 FerfelaBat // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:37 pm
An aquired taste, then.
12 Getbig.com // Feb 5, 2008 at 3:00 am
Complete violation of every rule. Men stripping women. She was handcuffed. Sheriff refuses to release more video because it will bury him. Looks like another cover up. She will get a million from this. But they will try to settle.
How many more videos are they hiding. Too bad. Maybe now, many more women will come out and say what is occurring at that jail.
13 Pen Elope // Feb 5, 2008 at 9:52 am
Give power over others to an ignorant thug and you don’t have to have an imagination…..
Glorify and empower the ignorant, for god’s sake do not let them start thinking for themselves, they are where the money is after all and all the power you can milk…….make them police themselves and commit heinous crimes under the umbrella of the ‘law’, this is the world we are living in. And don’t mistake the intellectual for intelligent on academic merit or status alone. There’s no genius in being a kiss arse sell out like mainstream media. i doubt this will solve anything……
14 bill gorden // Feb 5, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I hope the governor FIRES the sheriff and the deputies.
That was NOT BY THE BOOK.
Plus it was wrong!!!
We’re seeing too much abuse of power. On the other hand we are seeing too many LEOs getting murdered. But I do not think any one was in danger except the victim — she was the victim more than one way or another.
15 genewitch // Feb 5, 2008 at 9:09 pm
ferfela, Just because someone has a tatoo, any tattoo, doesn’t mean they get their rights checked at the door.
If you’re struggling with someone that is handcuffed as she was, you LIFT on the handcuff chain, and they stop, because it hurts like 8 bastards in a bastard boat. Unless they are on PCP. But since there was no mention of her being high on PCP or even inebriated, i doubt that was the case. It takes 2 people to restrain any one person if you’re trained to do it. and guess what training police have? there should have been 3 people in that room total, maximum. all female.
Sorry but you smell like a troll, type like a troll, and act like a troll.
Anyone who doesn’t plainly see that this woman’s basic human rights were violated doesn’t deserve to have an internet connection or contact with society.
Who cares what she said to the police? she was in AWE that she had been arrested. She wasn’t SUPPOSED to get arrested. SHE HAD GOTTEN BEAT UP.
It’s called “Psychological Shock”
Don’t be a dunce. she didn’t deserve this.
16 sassymama // Feb 6, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I have to agree with Ferfela!! Tramp Stamp — thats what it is - plain and simple. Girls only get them to show them off when they are wearing inapproiate clothing. I firmly believe you get treated the way you ask to get treated. Act like a normal and responsible human and you get treated like one. Act like a crazy person and you get treated like one.
17 FOR ME TO KNOW // Feb 6, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I’M NOT SURPRISED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED. MANY AUTHORITY FIGURES SEEM TO TAKE THEIR POWER TO THE HEAD. IT SEEMED LIKE THE SHERIFF WAS HAVING A BAD DAY…..BUT IT STILL DIDNT GIVE HIM THE RIGHT TO TORTURE THE POOR GIRL. NOT ONLY SHOULD THEY ALL GET FIRED BUT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WORK A JOB IN THE LAW FIELD AGAIN. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG. THEY SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH ASSUALT AND BATTERY, ASSUALT AND BATTERY WITH A DEADLY WEAPON(BECAUSE THE SHERIFF ABUSE HER WITH THE COP CAR) VIOLATION OF THAT WOMANS RIGHTS. WOW THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
18 Carlos Miller // Feb 6, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Sassymama,
The only problem is, everybody’s definition of a “normal” human being is different.
Perhaps you and FerfelBat view the “tramp stamps” as abnormal, but other people might look deeper into a person’s character before making a judgment.
The definition of normality is very relative.
The definition of Human rights is pretty concrete.
At least in this country. At least it used to be.
19 FerfeLaBat // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:08 am
FWIW I took this one back to a private board for discussion and the reactions were about half and half. Some women believed that there is no justification for stripping anyone regardless of whether they say they are suicidal or not (joking or not) and others who believe that if you are acting like a crazed lunatic then all bets are off on how you can expect to be treated.
One says: “I think that 90% of them (police) have serious anger/control issues and choose the police profession so they can exert that control freely. ”
Another responded: “Well, I am withholding judgement too unless I get the whole story. I have seen both sides and here in Chicago there are plenty of bad cops but there are good cops too. I have worked in the ER when gang wars are brought in and believe me, we would strip those guys because we would never know if there was a buried knife or gun. I also dated a maximum security prison guard and did a 4 week rotation at the prison hospital. Safe is when they are stark naked and you know you won’t be knifed or shot taking care of them. ”
Yet another said: “I’m with Ferfe on this one. We have only heard the woman’s husband’s side of the story. It will be interesting to hear everything that went on. My first clue that the woman might have had it coming to her was seeing the cops taping the whole incident. They were covering their asses because they knew she was going to be even more trouble than the obvious.”
My response was: “She gave the cop at the scene her dead sister’s drivers license for ID. At the jail house, when they asked her the standard questions she gave them grief. When they asked her if she ever considered suicide she gave a smart assed answer. Do they take it as a joke and risk it? Or take her seriously and deal with it. She brought a good deal of that on herself from what I read. If she had given a valid ID, spoken respectfully and answered the damned questions like a normal person, I’m willing to bet none of that would have happened. Joke with the police about being suicidal at your own risk.
The cops did not look like they were enjoying any of it. They were not taunting her or even talking to her. My impression was that a lot happened before they reached the point where they stripped her and put her in a cell alone. Six hours was against even their rules. But you give up basic rights when you act like an asshole to cops. They can hold you without charge for something like 72 hours.”
To which one responded: “Nope. Sorry-I don’t care WHAT the hell she said to them. You do not strip a woman like that. Take away what might hurt her, but you don’t take all her clothes off her and treat her like an animal NO MATTER HOW she asks to be.
She may have taunted them, but they should rise above her actions and be professional. Just like when a girl is drunk and begging to be f^&d-doesn’t mean you DO it. You pat her on the head, put her bra back on and deposit her at the door.”
And I DO agree with that … in a perfect world. But. We’ve been manipulated and lied to by the media so many times in their quest for sensational ratings that I just don’t trust that we are seeing the entire story. If that is all there is to it and it is a straight on case of police abuse, then I will agree that the cops were completely in the wrong.
GeneWitch - a Troll stops on a blog, says something completely outrageous and then is never heard from again. I am simply playing the Devil’s advocate and taking a different view of the topic. AND, I am explaining my reasons for taking an opposite view.
20 FerfeLaBat // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:28 am
I was in the Bahamas once and waiting to clear customs. A woman walked up to a Bahamian cop and asked him if drugs were legal there and if so, where should she go to get some. She also asked if the hotels were airconditioned because, if not, she was SOOOO outta there now. She also wanted to know why everything was taking so long.
She was not kidding.
The man had a machine gun and was in full uniform. TELL me she was not asking to be arrested or at least detained? People are dumb as a box of rocks sometimes.
21 Carlos Miller // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:59 pm
FerfeLaBat,
In this case, the media asked the sheriff to comment and he said no comment because of the pending lawsuit.
They’ve also asked to see the rest of the video, but he has refused.
They have given the sheriff opportunity to present the other side, but the sheriff has not said anything except that “it wasn’t a strip search”.
Right.
If this were simply an article based on the woman’s lawsuit with no video, then it might be easy to write it off as exaggeration on her part.
But we’ve seen the video. And although the cops don’t look like they’re enjoying it.
The woman looks like she is going through hell.
We still have human rights in this country. And her human rights were violated that night.
22 Carlos Miller // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:02 pm
And about your Bahamas story, maybe the woman was asking to be detained and maybe the cops had enough justification to detain and question her, maybe even search her luggage.
But that still wouldn’t give them an excuse to rip her clothes off and leave her naked in a jail cell for six hours.
23 C L Jahn // Feb 8, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Ferfe-
you’re leaving key facts out of your equations:
- the woman had just been assaulted
- she had been hit the head and face
- the attack was so vicious that a patch of her hair was lying on the ground next to here.
So cop shows up, and asks for her driver’s license; she’s disoriented and and in pain and crying, and digs into her purse and pulls out a driver’s license. The Cop says “But this say’s your name is something else!” She realizes her error, and produces her DL, and explains about her sister dying and asks for the keepsake DL back.
Now, yes, a DL is the property of the state. And there’s probably a law about seizing them when found. But remember, this woman has been badly beaten; she’s not thinking clearly. She’s the VICTIM that he has been sent to HELP. He utterly failed at that duty.
He failed to uphold the laws he was supposed to be enforcing, and he failed as a human being.
24 Whee, Fun! // Feb 10, 2008 at 12:34 am
For you, FerfeLaBat, you can start practicing now…OK now repeat:
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
Yes, Massuh!
25 musegrrrl // Feb 14, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I find it interesting how we all jump to conclusions about everyone in this situation. No one ever said that her response to the suicide question was a smart ass response. Can you not possibly imagine yourself being so disoriented because things are going so wrong and possibly sincerely answering the way she did? She was supposedly asked if she “had ever thought of harming herself.” Although, “now or ever?” may not have been the brightest answer at the time, I can still see how someone in her situation could have asked that.
Ferfelabat, you make me sad. You have made so many assumptions about this woman and the situation. You weren’t there and I don’t care what someone is wearing or what kind of art is on their body or any of that…no one deserves that type of treatment! I don’t care how trashy a person is, they are still a human and deserve the human rights that you and I expect to receive.
I agree that the cops made a mistake and I hope that this situation is really being investigated and that justice is served to whichever party is in the wrong.
26 Bishop Jerry Ogles // Feb 16, 2008 at 11:00 am
The brutality and humiliation experienced by Mrs. Steffey from those sworn to be protectors of the innocent is appalling and reprehensible. I am amazed that, since we do not know if Hope was truly guilty of the charges lodged against her, we DO indeed know that the behavior of all at the sheriff’s department WAS illegal. Ref: the Ohio State Revised Code. Strip searches (and that doesn’t mean those simply conducted to find contraband) MUST be performed by persons of the same sex. Failure to abide by this stipulation for any reason is a Class A Misdemeanor. Secondly, the act must derive from a legal warrant (didn’t happen here). Thirdly, a report must be submitted following the event (Did not happen), and finally, there must be compelling evidence of the necessity (there was not). So we can judge that the known criminals in the cell include every person there EXCEPT Steffey. Moreover this is the most immoral and disturbing piece of work I have ever known in seeing men fondling and pawing around on an obviously attractive female prisoner who was probably sought out for that very purpose.
27 FerfelaBat // Feb 19, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Her response to the suicide question is in the article. Do you carry around two different ID’s in your wallet? No one is that screwed up that they can’t manage to choose the right ID if they do. And Everyone here seems to be making the assumption that she was just minding her own business in all this. A fight takes two people. How do you know she didn’t hit her cousin? How do you know anything at all? I stick to my belief that the amount of truth in a story is inversly proportional to the amount of outrage it generates. I wouldn’t wish that treatment on anyone for any reason, but someone or everyone related to this story is lying through their teeth and until they come out with the FULL story I reserve the right to doubt that she is Mary Mother of Christ and completely blameless in all this. It would be a real miracle if she was.
28 FerfelaBat // Feb 19, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Bishop. Did you watch the same video I did? They stripped her and put her in a cell. I did not see any fondling. Must be wishful thinking.
29 FerfelaBat // Feb 19, 2008 at 5:08 pm
http://www.the-review.com/news/article/3265662
30 Carlos Miller // Feb 19, 2008 at 5:45 pm
FerfelaBat,
Yes, there are two sides to every story, but we can’t create sides that aren’t there.
First of all, we can assume that Steffey Hope did not hit her cousin because if she had, she would have been charged with assault and battery, not just disorderly conduct.
Second of all, if Steffey Hope is lying about what took place in the room when they asked her if she had ever thought of killing herself, then you would think the sheriff would have already produced the video to disprove her claim.
But the sheriff has done the complete opposite and refuse to release the video of what took place in that room.
Steffey Hope claims when they asked her if she had ever thought of hurting herself, she answered “now or ever”. She also claims in the her lawsuit that as soon as she said that, deputies knocked her over and pounced on her.
We already know that deputies were filming the exchange.
So if she is lying, then why hasn’t the sheriff prove it by producing the video showing something completely different that occurred?
And about her choosing the wrong ID, I think it could happen to anyone.
The other day I was walking into Costco and I wasn’t really paying attention and I showed them my Bank of America card.
The lady at the door laughed. We both laughed. It was an honest mistake. Both the cards are similar in color and are in my wallet.
31 Carlos Miller // Feb 19, 2008 at 7:33 pm
FerfelaBat,
Your comment ended up getting moderated because you included two links, and I just came across it in my moderation folder, which is why it didn’t appear until now. To prevent spam, I have it set so it moderates comments with two or more links.
What I find interesting about that news release is how the sheriff is now acknowledging that Steffey Hope was “stripped search”.
Before, he claimed it wasn’t a strip search.
The other thing is just because a jury found her guilty of disorderly conduct, doesn’t mean the deputies were justified in ripping her clothes off.
Besides, the video had not surfaced at the time of the hearing.
I would guarantee that no jury would have convicted her had they seen that video.
32 FerfelaBat // Feb 20, 2008 at 4:29 pm
It’s Hope (first name) Steffey (last name). It couldn’t be a strip search because they left her naked for six hours. I’ve read through several articles and no one seems to explain why they removed her clothes. Even if she was crazy as a sprayed roach (which is what I suspect is the case) why take her clothes off? Have the ambulance people transport her to the psych ward and be done with her.
This will eventually play out in the court system and the complete video will be part of the record. I reserve judgement. I just don’t trust these half edited youtube videos and sensationalist press reports.
That video is bad enough that, if it were all there was? Every majors news station would have been on it. They don’t hesitate to report police brutality because it sell ads. The fact that they are NOT all over it sets off about a million “let’s wait for the other shoe to drop” alarm bells.
There was a time in my life when I jumped all over things like this and made snap judgements based on the initial news. I got sucked in like a complete idiot only to have to eat my umbrage later when the full story came out. I have learned one very important lesson as I’ve gotten older: No one is innocent.
33 Damien V. Cross // Feb 26, 2008 at 12:05 am
I’d like to clear up a bit of confusion here. None of us know in full what happened but let me be the first to say that the police in this case are going to have their posterior ends handed to them in court, largely because of the following:
1. The officer who responded did not have his dashcam turned on until both he and Hope were in the car.
2. The Sheriff’s Department is obviously lying when they claim to have no more footage to release
3. Standard operational procedure in corrections (take this from a corrections officer here) in ANY facility clearly states that officers of the same sex are allowed to perform strip searches or Visual Body Cavity Searches. What this includes is the inmate being given lawful and direct verbal orders to remove clothing. The officer will search the clothing and then ask the inmate to show their hands, open their mouths, lift their tongue, (in the case of males) lift genitalia or (in the case of females) lift the breasts, turn around, show the soles of each foot, wiggle the toes and then squat and cough…that’s it. In no way is the officer to ever lay a hand on the inmate during this search UNLESS they are a clear and present danger to themselves.
4. The Sheriff is obviously lying when he says his officers did everything “by the book.” I wonder who’s book he was going by at the time because it wasn’t the established procedure.
5. The Sheriff is also NOT calling this a “strip search.” I have to wonder what he does call it?
I know what I call these factors put together…failure to follow procedure and that’s exactly what these officers are going to lose their badges to when the judge (who is hopefully in his right mind) hands down his decision.
34 Will Canuck // Mar 7, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I find this story to be very disturbing partly for what happened to Hope but moreso from the posted reactions of many people who have seen the video and in particular from the Sheriff’s reaction.
A talented law enforcement officer will defuse a situation. It’s amazing what 5-10 minutes of peace can do to the most volatile situation.
I am confronted by angry and scared people every day who could easily be encouraged to “disturb the peace” but by approaching the situation with empathy I and my other talented colleagues tend to move things the other way. If the responding officer had slowed things down and really listened, then he probably wouldn’t have felt the need to take Hope in to custody. If he worked for me, I’d be recommending him for additional communication training.
The conduct of the officers in the holding cell is bizarre. First of all, the rules I’m familiar with state that opposite-sex strip searches simply do not occur. The male officers needed to leave as soon as it became apparent that the prisoner was to be disrobed.
Most of my female colleagues can defend themselves against much bigger opponents regardless of their gender. The argument that this single threat was beyond their ability to deal with as a group should be insulting to each and every female officer involved. If it is, infact, the case, they should be dismissed from the force and the force should review their hiring practices. If they “needed” to perform a suicide-watch strip, then they were obligated to have appropriate clothing to protect Hope and her dignity. I would expect them to treat her delicately and to talk soothingly and reassuringly to her as they “helped her” to remove her clothing and to don the lightweight protective clothing. Their lack of communication during the incident speaks to its “violent” nature. Things were being done TO her and no one was answering any questions.
But what were the other options? How about not putting Hope in a cell at all? If they had concerns about her stability they could have kept her in sight at the booking desk. Or, as it sounds to me like she was already hurt when she arrived at the station, by transferring her to medical care, a suicide watch wouldn’t have been necessary as she wouldn’t have been isolated.
Bottom line, the litmus test for any officer is am I treating, did I treat this citizen in the same way that I would treat a loved one. If any of the officers claim that this conduct would pass that test, I am glad I am not one of their loved ones. (Before any fellow officers crack back on this, I’m not talking about knee-jerk responses to life-and-death situations, I’m talking about a suspect who is already under your control. It is not the job or privilege of an officer to punish a suspect, our job is to serve and protect)
Now everyone can have a bad day. In my opinion this group had a criminally bad day. There is no excuse for this behavior. Any citizen of the United States who argues that we don’t know what went on before, during or after this video was made and that it might in some way excuse or explain the officers basic disregard for the rights and basic self respect of Hope should think long and hard about what they are saying. In this video, Hope is already “detained” the officers have many options for what to do next. The duty officer can make the call, slow things down, make sure that things progress with ample respect for the suspect. By arguing that there may be a plausible excuse for this behavior, you are saying that in your world, anyone suspected of a crime forfeits their basic human rights. BTW. comparing prison procedures with jail procedures is not appropriate in this case.
Which brings me to the sheriff. I don’t know much about American jurisprudence but I’d have to say that unless there is some element of law that I have yet to be exposed to, this man is a certifiable idiot. If he came back with a response that said “I am concerned with the allegations being made and we are actively investigating those allegations, therefore I cannot comment except to say that I have great faith in my force as a whole. If the allegations are proven we would act to serve the best interests of Hope and the public.” he might be worthy of his title. It’s how a responsible Sheriff would respond. However this guy is bucking to make old Buford T look judicious. He’s seen the video. His comment to all of the citizenry and anyone who has the misfortune of driving through his district is, if you get involved with our force on any misdemeanor and the conduct of one of my officers inflames the situation to a point where you are brought to our jail and you make an unclear statement in regards to an ambiguous question concerning any suicidal thoughts you may have had in the course of your life, then you can expect a team of men and women to forcibly strip you with a video tape rolling and leave you naked in a cell for six hours. When the “danger” has passed and you are brought in for arraignment, rather then returning your clothes, you will be paraded through court in a bullet proof vest like a pin-up girl. And what’s more, He as the supreme legal official will see nothing wrong with it and commend his staff for a job well done. Can’t you just hear the property values dropping in his precinct?
To summarize, there is no excuse for the way Hope was treated. However well-trained and empathetic those officers might be on a “Good Day”, they missed the mark completely that night and for the credibility of the rest of the force they need to be reprimanded and the Sheriff needs to develop strategies to ensure that it never happens again. Hope needs to be compensated for the nightmare she endured.
The fact that anyone would question any of those truths, makes me glad to be Canadian. I believe I will FLY to Florida this year, rather than chancing running in to a like-minded sheriff!
35 Ed // Mar 27, 2008 at 12:40 pm
You people are UNbelieveable!!
I am not naive enough to believe that she wasn’t giving the cop a hard time.
But for you nitwits to suggest that she in any way remotely deserved to be treated that way!?!?
If this cop can’t control himself, or call for an ambulance for a assault victim, then he needs to get off the force.
And if he sexually attacks a prisoner, then he needs JAIL TIME.
Saving her from herself….anyone stupid enough to believe that BS please raise your hand. This STRIP/RAPE was designed to humiliate and cow the victim into submission. FACT!!!
36 monet108 // Jun 19, 2008 at 12:05 pm
How is the sheriff able to with hold the video? Isn’t that evidence. Doesn’t the state have the right to demand the video. I thought the government was for the people. Why is this being allowed.
37 Paul // Aug 4, 2008 at 6:16 pm
The cops were not “covering their asses,” they were more likely taping this for personal or commercial use.
And for Ferfe, who cites a cop in gangland Chicago who states he wants all arrestees searched, get a reality check. This woman is not some gang banger from the slums of Chicago, she’s a suburban housewife. That you’d even cite a quote from someone so devoid of the concept of context only shows your stupidity, and your source’s.
38 Paul // Aug 4, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Will, I must say that you’ve tempered my hatred of the law enforcement profession. From everything I’ve experienced (several times), cops are nothing but degenerate thugs, like the ones that populate Stark County. I’ve never known them to improve a situation, and I’ve known them to greatly exacerbate problems, and conjure many new ones out of thin air. Good to know there’s at least one good one.
39 David // Oct 10, 2008 at 12:30 am
Why Are you saying that this was rape (WITHOUT PENETRATION)
They did a cavity search!!!!
In Ohio just sticking your fingers ware they do not belong is rape.
that is the law and it will get you Life in prison with out parole in the state of Ohio.
There are hundreds of inmates in the Ohio prison system doing hard time for this alone
There are even bogus prosecutions and convictions in Ohio. A man doing life without parole because during a police drug raid he was in the act of changing the dipper of his newborn son and they charged him with rape you see touching a minor on there private parts with your fingers is RAPE! In Ohio
O.R.C 2907.01 and O.R.C 2907.02
ANY OBJECT!! finger or otherwise is rape.
According to this law those officers are Guilty of rape. If it is not justifiable as it was not in the line of duty she was wrongly arrested and so they are without State Sanction. And what about those girls that toured the detention center and were strip searched ages 14, 15, 16
these are children strip searched and cavity search without state sanction Ohio law states you cannot touch this area of a minor UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. that is also rape so why are they on the street instead of doing 15 to life and registering as a sex offender every six months
you no a( tier 3 sex offender) as the law prescribes. it is amazing how the law is severe for the common peon. but badge wearing scum can do what ever the hell they please to who ever the hell they please when ever the hell they please.
the lines are clearly drawn, they have that crooked nazzi cross and the rest of us all have the little yellow star. get the picture?
40 John 454 // Oct 11, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Well the CantonRep paper has posted ALL the strip video, or what they claim to have of it. Unbelievable!
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=433316&r=0&Category=15&subCategoryID=0
Officials at Stark County & the State saying they could see nothing wrong with this video. And a few people on other sites have agreed with them!
BUT just so we’re all on the same page, lets review the video….
First of all, this video STARTS after Steffy is already forced down on the bunk. The camera operator tells investigators she doesn’t know WHY the whole recording isn’t there. And the piece that is “missing” is exactly when Steffy claimed she was never asked to remove her cloths & was assaulted by the staff. No problems with the ‘magic’ camera…RIGHT?
Plus what Swanson & the officials are saying is that not only is it ok for 8 people, men & women to be present, the men are also allowed to remove a woman’s cloths. EVEN if there are enough women there to do it.
And if a woman ‘reacts’ to being stripped by men & women, with spectators also standing there, while being videoed, the men are not ONLY allowed to RESTRAIN her, they are also allowed to pull her arms in submission holds, while yelling for her to “STOP IT”.
And then AFTER she is already stripped naked, its STILL ok for the men to put her in an arm bar submission hold, if she starts screaming while they force her crossed legs against her butt, while waiting to “change a mat”.
And its also ok for the camera, which is supposed to be on the prisoner at ALL times, to deliberately swing away so you can’t tell what they are doing to her. No problem here too RIGHT?
===== Yeah, just having a couple men TWICE her size, and a couple women, JUST restraining her isn’t enough, if she doesn’t cooperate, they can also TORTURE her into SUBMISSION. =====
And then once they leave, these “professionals” can have a good laugh…I guess they didn’t realize the camera was STILL running.
THIS is what ALL the Swanson supporters are good with…RIGHT?
Because Swanson and the “investigators” are OK with it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDRsCkc-9k0
41 Anonymous // Oct 12, 2008 at 2:47 am
I wonder… well I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone was cleared of wrong doing except Hope. She was found guilty of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
42 robertus_maximus1776 // Oct 12, 2008 at 8:03 am
This is unconscionable and outrageous. These deputies and corrections officers need to be relieved of their badges and brought up on charges of assault, at a MINIMUM. The Sheriff of this wretched county needs to be FIRED, as this crap happened on HIS watch. My heart goes out to Hope and her family. As a parent of a little girl, I could not imagine anyone, ESPECIALLY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, treating her in this manner. I hope the court awards her an ENORMOUS sum of money to the point where the accountability of inappropriate police conduct goes ALL the way up the chain up command and strikes the FEAR of the US Constitutional RIGHTS of AMERICANS into the hearts of every badge-wearing THUG in this country. http://www.infowars.com is an excellent source of information regarding this nation’s downward spiral into absolute authoritarianism, as evidenced by the brutal and CRIMINAL treatment of a VICTIM of a violent crime.
43 joey // Oct 15, 2008 at 7:41 pm
if you rape a person you go to jail, hope was raped on camera. police officers should get jail time no ifs ands or buts. what if a citizen raped a police officer they would have been in prison by now. we are losing our rights ,and now we live in fear. hope is very brave i hope justice is served.good luck with the case.
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