Florida Deputy Drags Mentally Ill Woman Out of Court By Her Feet Because She Was Crying Too Much

Sheriff concerned, places deputy on restricted duty.

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One of Florida's finest, Christopher Johnson, a deputy with the Broward Sheriff's office, has been placed on "restricted duty" after he was caught on cellphone video dragging a sobbing woman who had just been declared mentally incompetent out of the courtroom by her ankle bracelet.

Video was taken by a lawyer at the courthouse, and the sheriff's office promises a "comprehensive investigation."  The Sun Sentinel reports:

"I am concerned by the way the deputy handled this situation, because there were other courses of action he could have taken," Sheriff Scott Israel said. "Internal Affairs has initiated a complete and comprehensive investigation, and the deputy has been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome."

In the video the woman tells the cop she just wanted to cry in the courtroom for a few minutes. Watch it, part of a local news segment, below:

h/t Andrew S.

Comments

[Almanian!]

seems legit

[datcv]

I am still waiting for the law & order episode where a cop commits one of these cruel acts against a suspect and then the evil union rep prevents the cop from being punished in any significant way. PLUCKED RIGHT FROM THE FUCKING NEWS!

[AlgerHiss]

Thank you. TV cop shows are the last place reality of today’s LEO is found.

Be it Blue Bloods or any of the silly-assed, 19 versions of “NCIS This” and “NCIS That”, all of them are nothing more than profiles in badge licking.

It is disgusting.

[Agile Cyborg]

The officer feared and the F.O.P. cheered.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Nice. +1

[Almanian!]

“If she starts to shout, you must drag her out!”

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

A cry or beg?
Pull her out by a leg!

Alt – “grab its motherfucking leg”

[Mr. Soul]

+ .5 for making me think of Tears for Fears

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Let me give you some advice for the young at heart, Mr. Soul. It’s a mad world filled with Tears for Fears, but your complaints on an internet forum is pale shelter for your psyche. Let me break it down again, you’ll occasionally run across disturbing memories here, but as we all know thins change, memories fade, and the hurting will fade also.

[Rhywun]

Great album.

[Rock Action]

When the pawn…

[Almanian!]

“THERE IS NO CRYING IN COURT!”

*drags perp out by ankles*

Stay classy, Broward County Sheriffs.

[Jerry on the sea]

Freest State in the Union.

[Andrew S.]

We may be, just on a relative basis. Which is pretty scary.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You’re just here to gloat.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

Hey, the rest of you Reason authors – see what Ed did… it is called a “hat tip”, often abbreviated as h/t. It is an acknowledgment of a source or suggestion for a post. You are welcome.

– This message brought to you by the Committee to Increase Hat Tips and Alt-Text –

[SugarFree]

Andrew S. isn’t even real. “He’s” the account I sent up for Epi’s herpes.

[Andrew S.]

No, you got it wrong. Epi gave me herpes. I don’t like to talk about that night much.

[Swiss Servator... Switzy!]

You have Space Herpes now? Oh, man…

[Cyto]

+1 space garbage ship

[croaker]

Palindrome hates this.

[Ornithorhynchus]

You got it wrong! Space Herpes is from Ice Pirates. The garbage ship and Otto Palindrome are from Quark!

[Episiarch]

Yeah, well, neither do I. You weren’t very enthusiastic. And I hit you pretty hard. That was a waste of a dinner at Hardee’s, I’ll tell you.

[Riven]

That’s what happens when you’re cheap and don’t spring for the curly fries.

[hamilton]

I presume they’re just saving up all the hat tips to buy us an EDIT BUTTON.

*looks up hopefully*

[Agammamon]

And the judge says *nothing*?

[Rich]

“Oi vey, oi vey, oi vey!”

[Brett L]

Reading the article, it appears the woman was escorted (on her feet) from the courtroom and was sitting on a bench outside when the deputy came to take her back to jail or wherever she was to be transported.

[Andrew S.]

My first hat tip!

I’d like to thank the Academy, my family, and DAMMIT WHY ARE YOU PLAYING ME OFF ALREADY?

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

“You tolerate me! Oh, you really tolerate me!”

[Pope Jimbo]

Why is this poor woman subjected to this sort of treatment when Wheeler from the FCC deserves it so much more?

In a just world, it would be Wheeler being dragged out by his heels and we’d all be on here second guessing that second cop didn’t for not making an effort to smash his head with that sign.

[croaker]

Wouldn’t it be a beautiful sight on Thursday morning if five nooses labeled for the commissioners suddenly appeared on a tree across the street from the FCC?

I’d do it, but I’m too far away.

[scape]

“I am concerned by the way the deputy handled this situation, because there were other courses of action he could have taken,” Sheriff Scott Israel said.

I read that as a threat, not worry.

[Brett L]

Officer safety requires she be tased or otherwise rendered unconscious before being dragged by deputies.

[Billy Bones]

#YesAllPolice

/sarc

[Pierre]

Why was the judge OK with this?

[Restoras]

Law enforcement is all on the same side?

[Hugh Akston]

Did the deputy at least say “I’ll give you something to cry about!”

[Fist of Etiquette]

“I am concerned by the way the deputy handled this situation, because there were other courses of action he could have taken,” Sheriff Scott Israel said.

“He could have confiscated the recording device and deleted the evidence. He could have claimed he felt threatened by the presence of a cell phone and arrested the attorney. He could have shot everyone. He had many procedural options available to him that he failed to utilize and now here I am on the news.”

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Here’s some more news about our heroes in blue.

A grandmother nearly 80 years old has filed a lawsuit against Clovis Unified claiming she was manhandled by an officer and left with more than $180,000 in medical bills.

Mary Poole was dropping off treats last year at Kastner Intermediate School. She says the Clovis Unified police officer asked her to leave because of a court order against her. But what happened after that… Is what she feels was excessive and unjust.

Court documents claim the officer sprayed pepper spray in the woman’s face twice during a confrontation in front of the school. She ended up with a dislocated shoulder and fracture, and pain she says is just now starting to subside.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Bonus Points: The woman in question is less than 5 feet tall, was never arrested, and there was no retraining order.

[Rhywun]

I was expecting to read that she got put down because of unauthorized foodstuffs on campus. As if the actual story isn’t horrible enough.