Police Abuse in Full Effect in Stark County, OH

[notsure]

911 Caller Calls Police As a Victim and Gets Unlawfully Detained and Strip-searched

http://podblanc.com/?q=node/13519


Very harsh, very disturbing video depicting the wrongful and extremely unorthodox detention and strip-searching of an Ohio citizen in Stark county, who had called the police as a victim. I feel it is necessary to shine light on the increasing abuse of police powers and the lack of individual compassion and common sense of public officials. All to often now officials are disregarding personal rights and cold-heartedly treating citizens like cattle. There is a huge problem when it comes to policy and training. Justice needs to be served and examples should be made. This wasn't the first time or the most drastic and wont be the last. At least this lady leaves with her life, others aren't as fortunate when it comes to law force incompetence. Justice is needed here.

Stark County Contacts:
-Sheriffs Office
http://www.sheriff.co.stark.oh.us/
(330)-430-3800
4500 Atlantic Blvd., N.E., Canton, Ohio 44705
strkshrf@raex.com

-Prosecuting Attorney John D. Ferrero's Office
(330) 451-7897
(330) 451-7965(fax)
110 Central Plaza South Suite 510 Canton, Oho 44702


[NeoRayden]

This is the post I have been posting around.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This type of behavior has to be stopped. An Ohio woman who wanted help from Police became a victim by both her assaulter and the Police that were suppose to protect her.

Here is the video footage that was taken at the jail. It is being released by her and her husband to local news stations. When you click the link you will then need to verify you are over 18 because some of the footage is pretty distrubing. There is no nudity shown on camera and this video is a must see.

Police agencies all across our nation behave in this manner and in other ways that lead to a loss of liberty and in some cases a loss of dignity and a sense of rape without penetration, or even loss of their life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWimXzEa9Xo


Please pass this along. Citizens must become aware of what some and I mean some rogue agencies are doing in this land of the free. They believe they are above the law wearing military garb and black op tactical weapons and training to degrade us into submission because were are of course nothing but numbers, maybe to some numbers on their paychecks any way.


Remember this may not effect you however...


First they Came -- By:Bertolt Brecht

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.



WHO WILL BE THERE FOR YOU?

[sirachman]

Its about time to get a posse together. Who is with me? Im tired of this bullshit!

Where can I donate to help this woman with legal fees?!

[Future4u]

We have to begin with cutting off the head of the serpant . That's the Banking cabal , so stop doing business with the major bankers like CitiCorp , Wells Fargo , Bank of America , Watchikiva ( sp? ) . Utilize the services of small private banks .

Stop doing business with EXXON , Chevron/Texaco , British Petroleum , Mobil and Union and any that import from the Middle East .

Get out of the New York stock market and into the Canadian exchange ( TSX ) with gold , actual producers , major or junior . Stay away from non-producers . Avoid investments in anything owned by General Electric as much as possible .

I turned of my DISH satelite a year ago - don't miss a thing . Support your local small businesses as much as possible , not the big box stores . It may cost a little more , but you'll be helping them to compete and survive .

Stop doing online banking and bill paying unles you are anxious to have one of those chips imbedded . They are already in credit cards and driver licenses . In fact we've all been assigned an ' International " ID number .

Stock up on non-perishable staples , buy in quantity to save money . Purchase your veggies from a local producer - Farmers market ? Learn how to grow some of your own . Don't buy seeds from Mansanto - find a source on the internet - buy organic , non-modified

[Staupostek]

It's disturbing but not surprising. I have posted on here before about how the police can and have done this kind of thing before with no reason for it. Then, they either release you uncharged or, if they charge you with resisting arrest to begin with, they throw in disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct just to justify the cops trying to arrest you in the first place. And, of course, this is all done to "protect" the person it is done to. How many people have been brutalized by police in this country for their own protection? I seriously doubt anything will come of this even if they win their lawsuit.

[Shingen]

Law Enforcement Oath of Honor

"On my honor,
I will never betray my badge,
my integrity, my character,
or the public trust.

I will always have the courage
to hold myself and others
accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the
Constitution,
the community and
the agency I serve,

so help me God."

I'm not a cop, just a simple carpenter, but it seems to me that the Constitution MUST BE UPHELD by the persons who TAKE THIS OATH...and if they break this oath, they should be tried for perjury and treason by a jury of 12.

One can not preserve and protect Liberty, the very premise of the Founding Fathers, and the Constitution by employing these tactics upon the citizenry, or they become as evil and malicious as the criminals they claim to "protect" us from.

These truths are self-evident.

[propanes]

Initial news report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1yUsYIk2EM

Next day follow up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ6Lsqmf9yM

[Vancouverite90210]

Stark County Police Chief
http://www.bjornetjenesten.dk/teksterdk/Nurnbergprocessen/goring-hermann.jpg

[Vancouverite90210]

Thank GAWD I live in Canada is all I can say. Yes things happen here but not this kind of thing.
Unfortunately the PIGS who tasered Robert Dziekanski at YVR are still on the job but the issue will not die and they will not get away with it.

So how does one fight back against the storm troopers and the Office of Homeland Stupidity? Well....they want to have cameras everywhere eh? Then I think ever American should have a video camera with them everywhere and film all police involved in any strange looking activities. Then the films, like this one should be sent to that mind numbing TV series "COPS" to show what is really going on in America.

And just what is happening in America these days? Here's on Ohio townhall meeting in progress

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=95103&rendTypeId=4

[Vancouverite90210]

"We have to begin with cutting off the head of the serpant . That's the Banking cabal , so stop doing business with the major bankers like CitiCorp , Wells Fargo , Bank of America , Watchikiva ( sp? ) . Utilize the services of small private banks . "

The obvious no confidence vote in America's financial system is to withdrawa ALL funds not being used from all bank accounts and go buy GOLDAND SILVER BULLION. Yes you will be labelled a terrorist for owning gold but hey....its up 37% since Aug 1st. Buy it at your local coin dealers and sock it away somewhere and never give it up even if its recalled for the moment this happens it will skyrocket in price to $10,000.00 an ounce. DO IT TODAY...ITS YOUR ONLY PROTECTION. And when its 2,000.00 by 2010 remember this post. I know exactly what I'm talking about.

WWW.KITCO.COM (http://www.kitco.com/)

http://www.kitco.com/LFgif/au1825nyb.gif

http://www.streettracksgoldshares.com/images/dsc_0018_800.jpg

[duhlmann]

Unfortunately, the Stark County Jail has been the subject of several disturbing reports lately. I'd like to share share one more. I have learned, from confidential but reliable sources, of a disturbing practice there that is reminiscent of third world countries' treatment of prisoners.

There is a "special" cell at the Stark County Jail that confines rebellious and/or "hard-to-get-along-with" prisoners (i.e., anybody who questions the jail's practices) to chairs, to which they are strapped. They are also stripped completely naked, and at the mercy of the guards. Reportedly, one such inmate (again, remember, naked and helpless, but still unbroken) challenged the head CO's authority to subject him to such treatment. She then ordered guards dressed in military/Swat gear to "beat him!" (her exact words). They did just that, with their clubs and other weapons, while his fellow cellmates were forced to witness this atrocity, as a deterrence measure. Trustees were then ordered to clean the blood-soaked mats.

If this report is true (and my sources can verify its authenticity), then the Stark County Jail is practicing nothing less than torture. This is appalling, and I urge concerned citizens to contact the ACLU of Ohio to investigate and end this abuse now.

[Andrew Ryan]

I saw this video before a while ago. I don't think I can bear to watch it again.

:mad:

[zach]

They took it down for copyright reasons.

[Freedom 4 all]

I like this forum. Any other forum you go to there will be at least one dbag that defends police actions unconditionally.

[John4433]

There is a "special" cell at the Stark County Jail that confines rebellious and/or "hard-to-get-along-with" prisoners (i.e., anybody who questions the jail's practices) to chairs, to which they are strapped. They are also stripped completely naked, and at the mercy of the guards. Reportedly, one such inmate (again, remember, naked and helpless, but still unbroken) challenged the head CO's authority to subject him to such treatment. She then ordered guards dressed in military/Swat gear to "beat him!" (her exact words). They did just that, with their clubs and other weapons, while his fellow cellmates were forced to witness this atrocity, as a deterrence measure. Trustees were then ordered to clean the blood-soaked mats.

If this report is true (and my sources can verify its authenticity), then the Stark County Jail is practicing nothing less than torture. This is appalling, and I urge concerned citizens to contact the ACLU of Ohio to investigate and end this abuse now.

So did you ever verify this story??

As for the Hope Steffey story, I have investigated this story since the beginning of 2007. You would not believe the stuff I have found, and how many lies I have caught everyone involved in this in.

[John4433]

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

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/?action=view&current=BCI-Report.jpg


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 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.
And all the rest of the jail videos are posted on YouTube to prove that these accusations are lies too. (Look for Zemo999’s videos)

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.)


Its no wonder the grand jury found that the cop’s actions didn't rise to the level of "criminal culpability". How could they with the BCI investigator spellchecking the sheriff’s own reports and passing them on as FACT.

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?

UPDATE I have contacted the sheriff’s office, they are telling me that there is NO evidence that the jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz was ever called. And from the BCI reports, and testimony from Coren Lennon given to the BCI investigators, it looks as if even if he was contacted it would have to have been “after the fact” of when Steffey was stripped.


Deputies responsible in video: Kristin Fenstemaker, Laura Rodgers, Tony Gayles, Richard T. Gurlea Jr., Andrea Mays and Brian Michaels.
As are Nurse Coren Lennon and the jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz, the ones who allegedly made the decision to strip Hope and leave her naked.
These deputy criminals are now suing the WKYC news station that stood up and exposed their crimes and torture to the public.

http://www.cantonrep.com/archive/x309570834/Deputies-sue-TV-station-over-reports-about-woman-stripped-naked

[John4433]

UPDATE:

YouTube - OutSide of Hope Steffey's Cell while being assaulted (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgmyQvB3XSQ)

Ok here’s a video you won't see on the news.

Here’s the cops taking Steffey to the cell to strip her naked. This shows what was going on outside in the hallway.

But as you can see after they have closed up the cell after assaulting her, they IMMEDIATLY open her cell again, and some of them enter it.
The rest all stand around and seem to have a good laugh, so this will add some more time to the video.

As you can see from the video the big guy 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.

I have to wonder where their SWAT team is!

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

BUT THEN the camera seems to malfunction, and the next thing you see is a empty hall. BUT only ONE second has passed on the time marks!
WOW, .....MORE "missing" video from Stark County Sheriff's Dept.

[John4433]

Here’s a news article that mentions Stark County Jail:

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090511/NEWS16/905110319

In 2007, the last year data was available, the Lucas County Corrections Center housed 26,597 adult inmates and experienced five serious suicide attempts, one inmate escape, 12 inmate-on-inmate assaults, and six inmate-on-staff assaults.

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.
====
Montgomery County jail handles THREE TIMES the inmates of Stark County, but they have NO incidents.

So you have to believe that Montgomery County jail gets no ‘trouble making’ inmates, or you have to KNOW that Stark County & others have some serious staff problems.

[John4433]

I was always puzzled by the news saying that there was "confusion" when the cops arrived.

I'm thinking what "confusion"?? They have everyone there saying that Steffey was the victim, even the arresting cop is saying it on video.

Heck even the cop testifies that he went to his car to document Steffey's injuries.
And the cops are on tape talking about Steffey's cousin getting arrested the month before for another domestic battery charge, and even her brother mentions that she had another assault charge just the month before when he calls 911 & the cops on his OWN SISTER!

Plus Gurlea has everyone looking for Steffey’s missing hair, and Gurlea is on tape talking to Steffey as if he knows she is the victim, telling her that he will still investigate her assault even though he is arresting her. Plus he also names her as the victim in his radio traffic!
So WHY are the papers saying there was "confusion", there is none in the evidence!?!?
It didn’t make any sense.

Then Richard T. Gurlea Jr testified under oath that the investigation was never finished, because Steffey was ‘unable to contribute to the investigation’.

HUH?? You mean ANY victim that is knocked unconscious or killed will never have their case solved!?!?!
Because Steffey had gone back to the sheriff’s dept 4 days later to file abuse complaints & the assault. So are they trying to say she was STILL unable to “contribute to the investigation’”??
This makes no sense at all!

Then the cops got only TWO written witness statements, despite the fact that there were several people there.
Again it doesn’t make any sense, especially since the only two statements were from the alleged assailant & her brother, and NO OTHER witnesses.

Then I found the last piece of the puzzle that would make sense of all this...the cops tried to FRAME Steffey for the assault that she had reported!!

The arresting cop, Richard T. Gurlea Jr., testified at Steffey's trial that the 'investigation' into the assault was never finished.

REALLY?!!? Then how do you explain the assault charges against Steffey in the incident report they filled out???


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/Incident-Report-Assault.jpg


NO news source has EVER reported that Steffey was actually arrested for assault too. But this incident report clearly shows the cops were trying their best to get her charged with the assault too.

[John4433]

I have been wondering WHY all these other agencies have covered for the sheriff's dept. Why did they overlook all the evidence of abuse?

The BCI investigation's evidence includes Sheriff Swanson ENCOURAGING officers to use their videos for "training purposes".
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/Tapes.jpg

I called the sheriff's office and asked if videos like the Hope Steffey video had been used for "training" . I said you can't use them right...with the privacy laws!??!

They said that they DO use them for training, but that they 'didn't think' Steffey's video had been used.

"REALLY?", I said, so then send me a copy of the signout sheet.

They said they would not release a copy, then after I kept asking they claimed that there was no signout sheet.

Right, first they won't release them, then they don't exist....just like a lot of video that came up "missing" in this case. I have to wonder how many agencies that looked into the abuses get copies of these tapes?? What other incentive would they have to keep the abuses quiet?

GEE, do ya think that MAYBE this would be a violation of Hope's privacy?? If the sheriff wants "training videos" let them buy them from a school, not pass around private videos that are supposed to be used only in defense of a lawsuit.

And yet these same deputes sued, saying that THEIR privacy was violated!!!
Makes me wonder just how sick these people are.

[John4433]

Ok want some more stuff that NEVER made it to the news about this case?

Sheriff Swanson always tried to sell this story as Steffey being drunk & abusive.

But witnesses at the scene TESTIFIED that she is not that drunk, now you might try to write that off as Steffey's relation, but there is one problem with that theory. The BCI investigation ALSO finds that the next shift at the jail also says that they can detect NO smell or effects of alcohol on Steffey. (This would have been an hour & 1/2 after they stripped her.)

Want another piece that NEVER made it to the news? Swanson plays seconds of a audio tape where he claims Steffey admits to being suicidal, when you can tell she actually being SARCASTIC, NOT SUICIDAL!
Plus he fails to mention that the BCI investigation found that she DENIED being suicidal THREE TIMES!

Want yet ANOTHER piece that NEVER made it to any NEWS source?

Swanson claims that jail psychologist Thomas Anuszkiewicz put Steffey on suicide watch.
But I called the sheriff's dept they say they have NO evidence that backs up this claim, and the evidence that is there shows ONLY Coren Lennon put Steffey on suicide watch.
So we have Swanson caught in ANOTHER LIE!

How about one more for the road?
Ok the "missing" beginning of the strip video, so is it REALLY missing? I called the sheriff's dept May 5th 2007 and asked if the sheriff was ever going to release this video. They didn't ask WHAT video, they knew exactly which one I was referring to, and they said it would be released during discovery.
A week and a half later they deny that it existed! But the story doesn't end there, because the BCI investigation report MENTIONS THIS EXACT SAME PIECE OF VIDEO!
So I called Paul Scarsella (614-644-0729) of Special Prosecutions Ohio Attorney General's office and ask for this video. Now Paul says this video doesn't exist, and that the description that Agent Christy S. Palmer made in her report was her "interpretation".
HUH??? Agent Christy S. Palmer has an "interpretation" for NON-EXISTENT video?!?!?!? AMAZING!

Wow makes a difference when you start to get the whole story huh?

And these are just some of the LIES these people have been caught in.

Sheriff Swanson says there were not enough women there & thats why they had to have men there.

Video CLEARLY shows that this is a lie.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/Steff1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/Zemo999/Steff2.jpg

But then this is what I have come to expect of the Stark County criminals....

[John4433]

When I contacted the investigators I asked a few questions to see just how through this investigation was.

I asked of any of the other 5 women had been interviewed to show a pattern of abuse at the jail? ANS: NO

Did you examine the camera that magically fixes itself, or see if it had ever failed before or after this case. ANS: NO

Did you polygraph anyone to verify the TRUTH of their statements? ANS: NO

Did you go over all the jail policies concerning a “suicide prevention”? ANS: NO

How can someone be TOO suicidal for a suit DESIGNED for the purpose?
ANS: None, no answer at all…NO ONE I have ever contacted could answer this question, including Swanson

Wow they really dug for the TRUTH in this case huh? (This also is SARCASM, since I know none of the Stark County cops know the difference.)

[osan]

Very harsh, very disturbing video depicting the wrongful and extremely unorthodox detention and strip-searching of an Ohio citizen in Stark county, who had called the police as a victim.

Want to bet the police would start acting in a far more civilized manner if people took to shooting them ever so dead on a frequent basis for not behaving properly?

[John4433]

Want to bet the police would start acting in a far more civilized manner if people took to shooting them ever so dead on a frequent basis for not behaving properly?

If only the solution were so easy...but thankfully not ALL the authorities were going along with this scam.
As I pointed out the next shift at the jail did NOT back up the last shift that claimed she was drunk.

But still investigators had to overlook a LOT of obvious evidence that Steffey was abused under the 'color of law' to get these people off the hook.

So I can't get anyone else to punish them for their crimes, so I try to punish them the only way I can, by letting people see these people for the SCUM they really are.

[ItsTime]

If only the solution were so easy...but thankfully not ALL the authorities were going along with this scam.
As I pointed out the next shift at the jail did NOT back up the last shift that claimed she was drunk.

But still investigators had to overlook a LOT of obvious evidence that Steffey was abused under the 'color of law' to get these people off the hook.

So I can't get anyone else to punish them for their crimes, so I try to punish them the only way I can, by letting people see these people for the SCUM they really are.

The second they step out of their training and do something out of their training they are not longer "under the color of law" they are acting as civilians. Trust me we just won this argument in court.

[osan]

The second they step out of their training and do something out of their training they are not longer "under the color of law" they are acting as civilians. Trust me we just won this argument in court.

Care to elaborate?

[John4433]

The second they step out of their training and do something out of their training they are not longer "under the color of law" they are acting as civilians. Trust me we just won this argument in court.

That has been the trouble in this case.

Even though a NBC legal analyst, retired police trainer, a sheriff from a neighboring county, a correctional psychologist, and even a trainer at their local training facility said that their actions were not warranted & some even went so far as to say illegal.

But Sheriff Swanson steps in and says it's "ok".
Apparently he can make policy at the jail, and the only way to make a dent in it is to sue the pants off of them. At least that is what Jim Gravelle the Ohio Press Secretary said to me at the time I talked to him.

But so far as I have been able to tell it hasn't even made the dent, or any change. They still do not deny that they are using men to strip women naked for "suicide precautions". (I called the jail, the sheriff's dept, & the Stark County Prosecutor's office...NONE of them deny that this is still going on.)

I also talked to the lead investigator Paul Scarsella 614-644-0729, I wanted to find out just how through this "investigation" had been.

I asked of any of the other 5 women had been interviewed to show a pattern of abuse at the jail? ANS: NO

Did you examine the camera that magically fixes itself, or see if it had ever failed before or after this case. ANS: NO

Did you polygraph anyone to verify the TRUTH of their statements? ANS: NO

Did you go over all the jail policies concerning a “suicide prevention”? ANS: NO

How can someone be TOO suicidal for a suit DESIGNED for the purpose?

ANS: None, no one I EVER contacted ever anywhere had a answer for this one, so I sure never expected him to have one.