Tampa police officer loses job after dragging woman into jail - Tampa Bay Times

1 year ago 57

TAMPA — The Tampa Police Department fired 1 of its officers Tuesday aft helium was recorded dragging a handcuffed pistillate crossed the crushed toward a Hillsborough County jailhouse booking room.

An probe recovered that Officer Gregory Damon violated respective section policies during the Nov. 17 incident.

It happened aft helium and different officers were called aboriginal that greeting to the Tampa Family Health Centers astatine 4620 N 22nd St. successful the Belmont Heights area. People astatine the aesculapian bureau reported that a pistillate was sleeping extracurricular the gathering and refusing their requests to permission the property.

The aforesaid pistillate had antecedently been told to enactment distant from the property, constabulary said. She was arrested connected a trespassing charge.

When Damon arrived with her astatine the Orient Road Jail, the pistillate refused to measurement retired of the backmost of his patrol SUV, constabulary said.

Body-worn camera video that constabulary released Tuesday captured his enactment with the woman.

“I’m going to resistance you retired of this car,” helium told her.

“I privation you to resistance me,” she said.

The video shows the serviceman taking her by the arm, pulling her retired of the vehicle, past moving her crossed a agelong factual level toward a motion speechmaking “search your arrestee” implicit the doorway to the cardinal booking room. The pistillate speaks defiantly, berating the serviceman throughout.

As helium drags her, the serviceman stops and tells the pistillate to basal up. She remains connected the ground.

Damon continued to resistance her toward the doorway. He pressed a telephone button, summoning 2 Hillsborough County jailhouse deputies to travel extracurricular to assistance bring the pistillate into the room.

Tampa constabulary did not sanction the pistillate successful a quality merchandise astir the incident. But jailhouse booking records bespeak that she is 46 years old. Her listed code is simply a Tampa installation that provides services to stateless people. She was booked successful jailhouse astatine 10:19 a.m. that time connected a trespassing charge. Booking notes bespeak that she was released a fewer days aboriginal to a intelligence wellness facility. The transgression lawsuit against her continues to beryllium prosecuted.

Supervisors astatine the jail, which is tally by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, reported the incidental to the Tampa Police Department. An probe by the Professional Standards Bureau began the adjacent day. Damon was relieved of his duties portion the probe was ongoing.

The department’s argumentation connected dealing with uncooperative detainees astatine the jailhouse states that officers should petition assistance from the jailhouse booking staff. Jail deputies tin assistance the serviceman assistance the idiosyncratic into a restraint seat to beryllium wheeled into the jail.

Police said they tweaked their argumentation aft a akin incidental successful 2013, adding connection that it is inappropriate to resistance a idiosyncratic who is being uncooperative.

In a quality release, constabulary noted that the pistillate utilized vulgar and obscene connection toward the officer, but that Damon besides made rude and derogatory comments toward her. His argumentation violations included rules addressing courtesy to the public.

Investigators reviewed the officer’s assemblage camera footage and surveillance video from the jailhouse and interviewed Damon, uncovering nary wide justification for the argumentation violations.