The video shows Salisbury Deputy Mark Benfield approaching Ms Bottom's car with his gun drawn before grabbing her hair and dragging her to the ground. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Filter by State in . Former Salisbury Police officer Devin Barkalow is accused of pulling Bottom out of the vehicle by her hair. Bodycam footage showed Deputy Benfield hop out with his gun drawn as he and the other officers swarmed her car. Gemale Black, president of the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP, said the letter was sent to both law enforcement agencies as well as Salisbury city council members and the Rowan County Board of Commissioners. It wasn't just me, it was Officer Barkalow, it wasn't just me and Officer Barkalow, it was Baker team of the Salisbury Police Department, it took all of us to do that". According to the Post, the officers named in the suit have been identified as Devin Barkalow, Adam Bouk and Rowan County Sheriff's deputy Mark Benfield. The man had been shot twice. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's 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. Neither the Salisbury Police Department nor the Rowan County Sheriffs Office immediately responded to requests for comment Thursday. This is a military officer and this is a woman, the two pictures are saying. Im totally ok with throwing the book at her for having fled the cops for 10 miles, and Im even ok with having had guns drawn on her cause you never know with this shit, but that really does seem like excessive force to me when they got her out of the car. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), declined to comment to the Charlotte Observer, School board questions why payroll issue took so long to resolve, Taking them back: Alumni cherish photo project, Salisbury High assembly, Medical marijuana passes in NC senate, Ford votes no, John Carr: Post switching to mail delivery next week. He took a job with federal law enforcement in February 2020,. 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. 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. 2/26/2023 3:37:00 AM. The federal complaint also names Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten as well as the Pennsylvania National Mutual, Casualty Insurance Company, the insurance company with which the Sheriffs Office has a $2 million surety bond. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. Bottom pleaded guilty to failing to heed blue lights. Time and time again I see this where people get mad at someone for not shooting them in the leg or some bullshit, its because they have a split second to decide what theyre gonna do, how theyre gonna do it, and do it. Bottom noticed the deputys blue lights but didnt think she was speeding so she didnt stop. Bottom was not available for comment this week. The following alternative links are available: Note: this is a bot providing a directory service. Dancy called on the officers to answer questions of why the excessive force was used and why they ignored Bottoms comment about a previous injury to her shoulder during the incident. The letter states, This week, we watched as a 2019 traffic stop video surfaced of officers from Rowan Countys Sheriffs Office and Salisbury Police Department using excessive force to arrest Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year-old Black librarian from Atlanta.. Another officer involved in the traffic stop, only identified as Officer Smith, pulled ahead of Bottom and deployed spike strips that immediately immobilized her vehicle, the lawsuit says. Bouk refused, while the three other officers ignored her pleas. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's 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. I know that they leave their homes every shift not knowing if they will make it back safely., She continued, But this evening, I am an angry Black woman. Linda McElroy, the city of Salisburys communications director, declined to comment on the pending litigation and said, The Salisbury Police always strives for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where we may suspect criminal activity. The Rowan County Sheriffs Office has not responded to a request for information from the Salisbury Post. In addition to calling for the release of video footage, the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP is demanding a transparent investigation into the incident. Like, theres got to be a better way to handle this. She says she had her music turned up loudly and was listening to tunes as she made the journey. 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. One of the officers' body cameras also captured one of the Salisbury police officers bragging about "grabbing a handful of dreads" and saying "she earned it." The four officers involved in the incident were Salisbury Police Officers Devin Barkalow and Adam Bouk, Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Benfield, and an officer only . Yeah she ran for 10 miles. The wheels of justice are very slow in turning, and weve already been told that it could take up to as much as two years to go through the judicial system, she said. The officers pulled Bottom's arms behind her back while she shrieked in pain as sirens blared in the background, according to the footage. On 02/15/2022 STEPHANIE IVETTE CARRASQUILLO filed a Family - Other Family lawsuit against KYLE DEVIN BARKALOW. All rights reserved. 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.". Designed for military use, more and more police officers are carrying them. 2 State House Station Newcastle, ME 04553 Augusta, ME 04333-0002 Cell: (207) 975-3132 (207) 287-1400 TTY: (207) 287-4469 mick@mickdevin.org State Representative - CHLOE S. MAxMIN Capitol Address: Home Address: Devin Barkalow M. Police Officer City of Salisbury. The suit also maintains that officers had no probable cause and never asked for Bottoms consent to search her SUV or her purse, which was in the vehicle. Bottoms lawsuit was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for North Carolinas Middle District and accuses officers of using excessive force and violating her constitutional rights. They ignored her cries for medical attention and failed to render immediate treatment for her injuries. 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. Chauvins conviction on Tuesday has renewed the push from Democrats for the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a measure that could reshape law enforcement training in the United States. This practice of editing out the why for these videos and only showing the police response is likely to destroy any credibility as these videos continue to get debunked. Police say he got out of the car, ran, and was caught. Bottom said she was listening to music loudly in her car and did not realize she was being pulled over, according to the lawsuit. Shes asking for damages and an injunction against the policies and practices in which the officers engaged while taking her into custody. The other officers swooped in and handcuffed Bottom, who yelled and writhed in pain as they yanked her arms her back to shackle her. Bottom is seeking a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages as well as court costs and attorneys fees. The man had been shot twice. City attorney Graham Corriher said he will continue working with the citys communications department and City Manager Lane Bailey to deliver information about the incident that can be publicly disclosed. Adam Bouk of the Salisbury Police Department placed a handcuff on Bottom's left. "With each pump of his heart you could just see it coming out," Wilson added. Bottom, who is Black, is suing three officers, the sheriff of Rowan County, N.C., and the city of Salisbury, accusing them of using excessive force and violating her Fourth Amendment rights during a traffic stop that seriously injured her. Eventually, Bottom received medical attention at the scene and was taken to the hospital, the lawsuit says. "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. The car was stopped when they apprehended her. ', Heggins suggested a public work session with the city manager, city attorney and police chief to discuss use of force policies and what role each person is expected to carry out. 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. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle. After Benfields initial attempt to pull Bottom over, a roughly 14-mile chase ensued and ended when law enforcement officers eventually flattening Bottoms tires in Davidson County, The incident report states Benfield commanded the driver to exit the vehicle to which she refused to obey commands several times. Body camera footage. Once on the ground, officers twisted Bottoms arm behind her back, causing her shoulder to pop, tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit obtained by The Washington Post, which was filed in the Middle District of North Carolina, accuses Salisbury officers Devin Barkalow and Adam Bouk and Rowan County Sheriff's. Eventually, Bottom received medical attention at the scene and was taken to the hospital, the lawsuit says. The name Derek Barkalow has over 5 birth records, 0 death records, 3 criminal/court records, 13 address records, 5 phone records & more. If theyre not going to hold these officers accountable in a situation like this, when will they hold officers accountable?. The Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriffs Office could not be reached for comment by publication time. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. The 68-year-old Georgia woman, Stephanie Bottom, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court for North Carolinas Middle District about her treatment during the stop involving Salisbury Police and the Rowan County Sheriffs Office. let's integrate. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. The clinic has partnered with Emancipate North Carolina, a civil rights nonprofit based in Durham. Mr Benfield and another officer, Devin. But she added the data showing Black and brown individuals are disproportionately subject to police violence cannot be overlooked. 25.2k members in the USNEWS community. Four law enforcement officers are named in the federal lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. She had to miss a significant amount of work. Bottoms lawsuit indicates Barkalow also aimed his weapon at her. Within seconds of arriving at her driver's side door, officers grabbed the by her arm and hair and pulled her from her vehicle to the ground. Officers issued Bottom a summons, charging her with "speeding failure to heed blue lights, and resisting, delaying, and obstructing an officer for allegedly refusing to get out of her vehicle and pulling away from the officer," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. The fourth officer named in the lawsuit is Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. Bottom claims the officers refused to get her medical treatment even as she told them she was in pain, according to the lawsuit. According to a July 2020 report from the North Carolina Justice Analysis Review, Black motorists were stopped at a rate twice as high as white drivers in the Tar Heel State, and almost 1.5 times the rates of other races. A subreddit dedicated to people freaking out, melting down, losing their cool, or being weird in public. After a review of those policies, Black said he would like to see the creation of a new zero-tolerance policy that would establish an approach in penalizing and/or prosecuting police officers who engage in unethical acts when interacting with unarmed, non-violent and non-resisting individuals., The letters last demand is an update to the Rowan County Sheriffs Office mission statement to include inclusive language of professional law enforcement services being provided to visitors., The Sheriff Offices current mission statement reads: To provide professional law enforcement to the citizens of Rowan County, North Carolina through efficient and effective methods. OFFICER DEVIN BARKALOW OFFICER ADAM BOUK CITY OF SALISBURY SHERIFF KEVIN AUTEN PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL MUTUAL CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY Attorney/Law Firm Details Plaintiff Attorney CURTIS SCOTT HOLMES Attorney at BROCK PAYNE & MEECE, PA 3130 Hope Valley Rd. 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