Police detective Devin Barkalow (now with DHS) jumps out of moving car with gun drawn to ticket 68 year old woman for 10 over.she is African American.surprise/surprise VT: No police nationally will stop a car for 80 on an interstate highway where the speedlimit is 70. Whitney Peckman criticized local law enforcement for stating they want a good community relationship but choosing to gloss this over by hiding information about the incident until media reports. In addition to calling for the release of video footage, the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP is demanding a transparent investigation into the incident. ROWAN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Salisbury police officers chased and shot the tires of a murder suspect's car during apursuit Friday, according to police. The incident report describes one point during the chase where Master Deputy M. Smith sped up beside Bottoms vehicle and saw her put her hand up in a manner that suggested she didnt care or was not sure what was going on.. Stephanie Bottom was terror-stricken in the drivers seat of her SUV, trying not to move as three officers in Salisbury, N.C., held her at gunpoint during a traffic stop for speeding in May 2019. As she was handcuffed on the side of the road, the officers searched her vehicle and purse without her consent, a warrant, or probable cause which violated Bottom's Fourth Amendment rights, 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. She was "terrified," according to the lawsuit, as officers shouted at her to exit the vehicle. After the search, officers told Bottom to stand, but she said she couldn't due to the pain in her shoulder, according to the suit. The lawsuit names Benfield and Barkalow as the two officers who did this. They determined Bottom needed to be hospitalized. Many more people die in car accidents than because of guns and whatnot. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for North Carolinas Middle District by Stephanie Bottom of Atlanta, claims she posed no threat to officers from the Salisbury Police Department and the Rowan County Sheriffs Office when she was pulled over in May 2019. A Salisbury police officer involved in the stop bragged about grabbing a handful of dreads, and said at that point she earned it,' the lawsuit said, citing footage from the officers body camera. She was accused of refusing to get out of her vehicle and pulling away from the officer. The lawsuit denied those allegations. I think we all kind of saw this case the same way, which is this was an egregious example of excessive force. One of the officers in the lawsuit, Devin Barkalow, declined to talk about the complaint. 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. 'White privilege and entitlement:' NC city official fired after refusing to address woman by doctoral title. 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 Feel So Violated: Wisconsin Car Salesman Urinates on Black Womans Drivers License She Left Behind After Test Drive, This You?: Twitter Calls Out Marjorie Taylor Greene for Ironically Saying People Should Respect Others With Different Views, Joy Reid Rips Apart Scott Adams As the Dilbert Cartoonist Doubles Down on Racist Comments. Body camera footage showed Rowan County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Benfield and Salisbury Police Officer Devin Barkalow approaching Bottom's vehicle with guns drawn, then pulling her by the arm and hair from her vehicle to the ground. 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. Olen Bruner called on city leadership to work toward and enact changes that residents elected them to address, particularly archaic laws regarding racial injustice and police brutality that city leaders can hide behind and that protect the system., My first change is stop killing us, he said. 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. Bouk refused, while the three other officers ignored her pleas. Bottom, who did not immediately realize police wanted her to stop, was looking for a safe place to pull over when police used spike strips to stop her SUV. He identified her on the radio as an older Black female. A frustrated Barkalow called Bottom a fucking retard and a douche bag while chasing her in his squad car. Bottom would later be charged with speeding, failure to heed to blue lights and resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer. 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. The other officers named in the suit are Adam . The Salisbury Police Department says the State Bureau of Investigation has declined to review the incident. 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. Email her at natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com or call her at 704-797-4246. Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunt's funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. They invoke such fear and distrust that we as a council have to think of a way in which we can respond, Heggins said. let's integrate. Some of those images can be seen immediately below: Were asking for simple things that should already be in place.. Everyone take a close look at the video. Mike Colvin and Detective Devin Barkalow, are now on administrative duty. If you have trouble with any of the links above, please contact the user who provided them. Former Salisbury Police officer Devin Barkalow is accused of pulling Bottom out of the vehicle by her hair. Devin Willock, who was an offensive lineman for the Bulldogs, . Despite that, authorities felt justified in threatening deadly force and physically assaulting the woman because she didnt pull over in a timely manner. According to the Observer, Barkalow said he no longer works for the Salisbury Police Department. She also recommended watching the film Driving While Black.. Bouk yelled that theyd been following her trying to get her to stop for over 10 miles. "We physically saw him go white as a ghost from the loss of blood, he was about to go into a faint stage, so we just stopped with all the talk and just carried on with the first aid.". Like the officers who leave their home not knowing if they will safely return, many of us feel the exact same way every single day. It's unclear how close police were to Bottom's vehicle before she pulled over, as the footage only shows the inside of the police vehicle and the sky. The fourth officer named in the lawsuit is Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten. So this was very disruptive to her life in many ways.. ): Spencer D. Matthews, 39, Daytona Beach, habitual driving . Devin Barkalow is 36 years old, and lives in WI. Former Salisbury Police officer Devin Barkalow is accused of pulling Bottom out of the vehicle by her hair. Thats not the case in a lot of states. The other officers named in the suit are Adam Bouk, a sergeant for the Salisbury Police Department, and Mark Benfield, who is listed in the Rowan County Sheriffs Office directory as a master deputy. One of the officers named in the lawsuit, Devin Barkalow, declined to comment to the Charlotte Observer but no longer works for the police department. Her attorneys argue the officers didnt give the elderly woman enough time to exit her vehicle and acted recklessly by forcibly removing her. Incident reports show the chase occurred on May 30, 2019 when Rowan County Master Deputy Mark Benfield tried to stop Bottom around Julian Road for traveling 80 mph in a 70 mph zone. Theyre so disturbing. Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunt's funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. 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. 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. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the alleged use of excessive force and unlawful search of the plaintiff's purse and vehicle. Jagger Naves of the Rowan County Sheriffs Office cleared use of force used by deputies during the traffic stop. Officers with the Rowan County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police Department were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on Bottom, alleging she was driving 80 mph in a 70-mph zone, according to the suit. Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. This mission encompasses functions of courthouse security, civil process, operation of detention facility, investigations and community patrol.. Council member Tamara Sheffield said shes been in communication with Bailey about what next steps are needed to address a larger cultural issue regarding community policing. She is requesting a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages and the costs of court and attorney fees to be covered. The suit alleges that in his official capacity he "approved and condoned the unlawful behavior.". The force applied by the officers caused Bottom's "shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury," according to the lawsuit. SCOTT D. MACLATCHIE Hall Booth Smith, P.C. She joined the staff in January 2020 after graduating from Louisiana State University, where she was editor of The Reveille newspaper. Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246. I respect and appreciate police officers who uphold the oath to protect and to serve and carry out their duties with a sense of honor, courage and compassion, Dancy said. Instead, the officers decided to issue a criminal summons for her to appear in court at a later date. Represented By. It was late August, Officer Wilson and Detective Devin Barkalow rushed to the 700 block of Second Street where they saw a man leaning up against the front door of a duplex. Officers Barkalow and Adam Bouk and Deputy Mark Benfield then quickly approached with their guns drawn. She also said she was playing loud music in her car and didnt realize police were trying to stop her. Then police yanked the 68-year-old Atlanta woman out of her drivers seat by her hair, according to a federal lawsuit. Susan Lee said the lack of accountability is very concerning and violates community trust, adding that its chilling to think the same officers have been entrusted with local residents safety. The force applied by the officers caused Bottom's "shoulder to 'pop,' tearing her rotator cuff and causing severe injury," according to the lawsuit. See the correctional supervision record for Kyle Devin Barkalow, who is or was recently under the supervision of the department of corrections in the state of Florida. Police say he got out of the car, ran, and was caught. After she cried for police to get her medical attention I am hurting really bad one of the officers on the scene congratulated his law enforcement colleagues on a job well done, according to the lawsuit. She later asked to be taken to the hospital and told a ranking police captain who arrived on scene that officers had broken her arm. 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. I like to get all sides of the story, so Im asking to see what led up to that, Black said. It also claims that the officers congratulated one other for their work and an officer identified in the lawsuit as Barkalow is heard bragging about grabbing a "handful of dreads," saying "at that point she earned it.". Video shows officers pulling Bottoms arms behind her back. 'White privilege and entitlement:' NC city official fired after refusing to address woman by doctoral title. DEPUTY MARK BENFIELD. natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com. This should anger all of us.. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. 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. Stephanie Bottom, a 68-year-old from Georgia, filed a federal lawsuit in North Carolinas Middle District about her treatment at the end of a 14-mile chase involving local law enforcement officers on Interstate 85 in 2019. In the lawsuit, Bottom says law enforcement officers used excessive force, drew their. Stephanie Bottom was driving on May 30, 2019, along Interstate 85 from Georgia to North Carolina to attend her great aunt's funeral, her attorney Scott Holmes told CNN on Tuesday. Published 12:10 am Wednesday, May 5, 2021, By Natalie Anderson If theyre not going to hold these officers accountable in a situation like this, when will they hold officers accountable?. According to the lawsuit, Bottom did not believe she was driving fast and did not think the police were trying to stop her. Theres nothing that can justify how she was pulled out of the car, but what led up to that?. After the search, officers told Bottom to stand, but she said she couldn't due to the pain in her shoulder, according to the suit. CHRISTIAN FERLAN Hall Booth Smith, P.C. In situations like this, theyre so serious. 2/26/2023 3:37:00 AM. 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. We as a council have to say more than, be patient. We have to say more than let the process play out. Bottoms lawsuit disagrees with the Rowan County Sheriffs Office assessment, saying defendants were deliberately indifferent to the fact that their use of force was unreasonable, excessive and without lawful justification or excuse; and thus a violation of both statutory and constitutional law.. She appeared in court for the traffic violations, pleaded responsible to failure to heed blue lights, and the other charges against her were dismissed, according to the lawsuit. Sifford was recently indicted on murder charges from a 2014death investigation. Maam, there was about four police cars behind you at one point in time, Benfield told Bottom as she claimed she didnt realize the officers had been chasing her for miles. Incident reports show the chase started around sunset on Thursday, May 30, 2019, when multiple agencies were running radar on Interstate 85. Youre going to jail now, the policeman responded. Sgt. He is expected to have his first court appearance Monday. OFFICER DEVIN BARKALOW. Relatives & Associates. Bottom appeared befuddled at the officers aggressive response. Bouk told other officers thats good police work, baby even as Bottom continued to complain about her shoulder. Ummm dont think there are usually like a dozen police cars for a traffic stop obviously something else is going on here. This mission encompasses functions of courthouse security, civil process, operation of detention facility, investigations and community patrol., Blotter: Man accused of armed robbery apprehended after short chase, Blotter: Victims in shooting discharged from hospitals, Monday morning car shooting leaves two hospitalized. One of the officers named in the lawsuit, former Salisbury Police Department officer Devin Barkalow, declined to talk about the complaint, referring a reporter to the department. Following the public comments, Mayor Pro Tem Al Heggins asked the city council to find a way to address the concerns and deliver transparency. As for the other demands, Black said he thinks those could be delivered upon easily. Thats consistent with the incident report from the Rowan County Sheriffs Office, which states that Rowan County Master Deputy Mark Benfield tried to stop Bottom around Julian Road. We dont have any information that they were sanctioned in any way, said Scott Holmes, an attorney representing Bottom and a professor at North Carolina Central Universitys School of Law Civil Litigation Clinic. The suit says Bottoms injuries required surgery that did not fully repair the shoulder and that she feared the police and did not want to pull over on the side of the interstate. Linda McElroy, a spokeswoman for the city of Salisbury, wrote in an email to the Observer that the Salisbury Police always strives for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where we may suspect criminal activity.. Bottoms lawsuit indicates Barkalow also aimed his weapon at her. When Bottom appeared in court, she pleaded guilty to the failure to heed blue lights charge. 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