Strip search video released
Posted Nov 26, 2010 06:48:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
People are infuriated as video footage has been released of the violent strip search of Stacy Bonds.
The 27 year old was arrested in 2008 for public intoxication. While in jail there are allegations a number of officers assaulted her and cut off her bra and shirt, leaving her half naked in a cell for hours.
Thursday afternoon the Citizen posted the surveillance video to its website, after winning a court case to make the images public. There is no audio with the video footage, but it begins with Bonds being brought into a holding are and held up against a desk while a female officer knees her a number of times in the leg. Bonds kicks back and as she’s being searched and seems to be resisting, she is taken to the floor by three male officers. Later in the video, her shirt and bra are cut off. The video does not include the footage of her half naked, because the court did not allow it to go public.
The head of Ottawa’s Defence Lawyers Association said officers displayed a bad attitude from the very beginning. He pointed out that Bonds was the smallest person in the room, but the police quickly lost control of themselves.
All charges against her were dropped and the judge in her case slammed the officers involved for their actions.
Police Chief Vern White issued a statement about the video. He said that he understands people will be shocked by what they see, but urged patience and understanding that he can’t say more because the special investigations unit is looking into the matter.
Some have called for more than just the officers to be fired. A local criminologist told the Sun he wants the attorney general to resign over the controversy. He said after seeing the video there is no reason they should have followed through with charges.
