A Shreveport Lousiana police officer has been fired after an incident in which a female prisoner taken into custody on suspicion of DWI wound up lying on the police station floor in a pool of blood.
Much of what happened was recorded on a videotape, but there is a gap ofundetermined length. During that time, the woman was believed to have been injured. She said she was beaten up, the officer said she fell.The woman, Angie Garbarino of Shreveport, was argumentative when she was brought to the DWI unit's office last November. The videotape shows she did not want to listen to Officer Wiley Willis as he read her rights.
She was insistent on making a phone call and said so repeatedly. At one point, Garbarino mentioned the names of attorneys and a police officer she wanted to contact. She tried to leave the room but was stopped by the officer and then handcuffed, the videotape shows.
The situation escalated, and the videotape shows the officer push the woman against the wall; she fell to the floor crying, telling him not to touch her.
Seconds later, the tape is turned off. It is not known what happened while the tape was off, but when it was turned back on Garbarino was lying on the floor on her side in a pool of blood. Willis turns her on her back and tells her, "Lay down; don't move."
The officer leaves the room. Another officer came in shortly after that to
look at Garbarino and then left. At some point, a Fire Department ambulance crew was called. They took her to the hospital.
Garbarino's lawyer, Ron Miciotto, said she suffered a broken nose, a severe cut on her forehead, two broken teeth and bruises on her arms and shoulder. Pictures taken of her later show two severely bruised eyes, as well as other bruises.
Willis was fired earlier this month for what officials said was his handling of the incident. No criminal charges were filed accusing him of injuring the woman.
Garbarino faces trial on charges of DWI and hit and run driving. She will
fight them in court, Miciotto said.