Woman Files Federal Lawsuit Over Naked Pepper Spraying Ordeal At Indiana Jail - Personal Liberty

#pepperspray An Indiana woman is preparing a Federal lawsuit following a March ordeal in which she allegedly was pepper sprayed, stripped and paraded by police through a local jail after being detained on a pair of misdemeanor charges. Video from the incarceration shows the woman was pepper sprayed in her cell and left without clothes for almost an hour before being allowed to wash out her eyes.
An attorney representing Tabitha Gentry, the alleged victim, told local media that Gentry will file the suit next week against officers with the Floyd County, Ind., Sheriff’s Department. She alleges the officers violated her Constitutional rights while she was in their custody.
Gentry, who lives in New Albany, Ind., was brought to the jail in the early hours of March 30 on charges of resisting and disorderly conduct after police responded to a domestic call at a residence. Her attorney, Laura Landenwich, said things escalated quickly once she arrived at the jail.
“Almost immediately upon entering the jail, she’s assaulted by four officers. They grab her around the neck; they grab her body,” Landenwich told WDRB News . “They hold her down. There are two male officers and two female officers and they forcibly remove her pants, her shoes, her underwear and her shirt and bra.”
From the video, Gentry appears to be unruly (she was reportedly very intoxicated when taken into custody), but she does not appear violent. Without an accompanying audio track, the surveillance video doesn’t reveal what Gentry said that prompted the team of officers to throw her to the floor and drag her into a padded cell, strip her of her clothing and leave her naked and begging for something to wear.
Landenwich said Gentry attempted to escalate her demands for clothing by banging on the cell door, and that officers responded by pepper spraying her and leaving her alone in the cell for another 45 minutes before allowing her to wash the spray from her face. After she finally was provided an opportunity to clean herself up, she was placed back in the cell for another five hours.
“There is no justifiable law enforcement purpose to treating someone this way,” Landenwich told WAVE News . “There is no officer safety issue that is implicated by her having clothing. What this is, is humiliation.”
There was a standard-issue smock in the padded cell. At one point, the video shows Gentry draped in the loose cover. Isn’t that “clothing?” Doesn’t the smock ensure detainees’ Constitutional rights remain intact?
Maybe, but Landenwich insinuates that this incident reflects a larger pattern of detainee abuse by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department. In a similar case last year involving one of Gentry’s relatives at the Floyd County jail, the county ended up settling with a plaintiff who alleged officers had withheld clothing in order to humiliate her. And she points out an obvious, but overlooked, fact: Detainees aren’t convicts. Unless and until they’re found guilty of crimes, treatment of the kind that Gentry allegedly received amounts to a form of punishment.
“Now this is a woman, who under our system of law, is innocent until proven guilty,” Landenwich said . “She’s charged, and she’s charged with a misdemeanor crime that’s not a violent crime…What we also see on the video is, there is another inmate also being held naked prior to her entering that cell. These are egregious Constitutional violations.”

An Indiana woman is preparing a Federal lawsuit following a March ordeal in which she allegedly was pepper sprayed, stripped and paraded by police through a local jail after being detained on a pair of misdemeanor charges.

Woman Files Federal Lawsuit Over Naked Pepper Spraying Ordeal At Indiana Jail - Personal Liberty

Woman Files Federal Lawsuit Over Naked Pepper Spraying Ordeal At Indiana Jail - Personal Liberty

#pepperspray Are police going too far with their power? Woman gets pepper sprayed in the nude. More from PersonalLiberty.com:

An Indiana woman is preparing a Federal lawsuit following a March ordeal in which she allegedly was pepper sprayed, stripped and paraded by police through a local jail after being detained on a pair of misdemeanor charges. Video from the incarceration shows the woman was pepper sprayed in her cell and left without clothes for almost an hour before being allowed to wash out her eyes.

An attorney representing Tabitha Gentry, the alleged victim, told local media that Gentry will file the suit next week against officers with the Floyd County, Ind., Sheriff’s Department. She alleges the officers violated her Constitutional rights while she was in their custody.

Gentry, who lives in New Albany, Ind., was brought to the jail in the early hours of March 30 on charges of resisting and disorderly conduct after police responded to a domestic call at a residence. Her attorney, Laura Landenwich, said things escalated quickly once she arrived at the jail.

“Almost immediately upon entering the jail, she’s assaulted by four officers. They grab her around the neck; they grab her body,” Landenwich told WDRB News . “They hold her down. There are two male officers and two female officers and they forcibly remove her pants, her shoes, her underwear and her shirt and bra.”

From the video, Gentry appears to be unruly (she was reportedly very intoxicated when taken into custody), but she does not appear violent. Without an accompanying audio track, the surveillance video doesn’t reveal what Gentry said that prompted the team of officers to throw her to the floor and drag her into a padded cell, strip her of her clothing and leave her naked and begging for something to wear.

Landenwich said Gentry attempted to escalate her demands for clothing by banging on the cell door, and that officers responded by pepper spraying her and leaving her alone in the cell for another 45 minutes before allowing her to wash the spray from her face. After she finally was provided an opportunity to clean herself up, she was placed back in the cell for another five hours.

“There is no justifiable law enforcement purpose to treating someone this way,” Landenwich told WAVE News . “There is no officer safety issue that is implicated by her having clothing. What this is, is humiliation.”

There was a standard-issue smock in the padded cell. At one point, the video shows Gentry draped in the loose cover. Isn’t that “clothing?” Doesn’t the smock ensure detainees’ Constitutional rights remain intact?

Maybe, but Landenwich insinuates that this incident reflects a larger pattern of detainee abuse by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department. In a similar case last year involving one of Gentry’s relatives at the Floyd County jail, the county ended up settling with a plaintiff who alleged officers had withheld clothing in order to humiliate her. And she points out an obvious, but overlooked, fact: Detainees aren’t convicts. Unless and until they’re found guilty of crimes, treatment of the kind that Gentry allegedly received amounts to a form of punishment.

“Now this is a woman, who under our system of law, is innocent until proven guilty,” Landenwich said . “She’s charged, and she’s charged with a misdemeanor crime that’s not a violent crime…What we also see on the video is, there is another inmate also being held naked prior to her entering that cell. These are egregious Constitutional violations.”

An Indiana woman is preparing a Federal lawsuit following a March ordeal in which she allegedly was pepper sprayed, stripped and paraded by police through a local jail after being detained on a pair of misdemeanor charges.

Woman Files Federal Lawsuit Over Naked Pepper Spraying Ordeal At Indiana Jail - Personal Liberty

Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children

#womenselfdefense  New women self defense team helping women and children everywhere. More on the story from Sun-Sentinal.com

Self Defense Duo Teaches Safety tips for Women and Children

It’s an unfortunate reality, but every 22.2 seconds, a violent crime occurs in America. While every crime can’t be prevented, the way one reacts to these situations can.

Charley and Tracy Vega are a Florida-based couple who have developed Simple Self Defense for Women & Children. As leading Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children

personal safety experts, the duo has appeared on Marie Osmond’s talk show, Lifetime Television and a variety of news stations to discuss the importance of self defense and how parents and children and can become more aware of their surroundings with their live saving tips and techniques.

“We work with faculty, students, women’s groups, companies—anyone looking to increase safety in dangerous situations,” Charley said. “We were recently at a TV studio and they asked us to teach self defense to their employees.”

Charley, who taught martial arts for 30 years, teaches women you don’t have to fight to fend off an attacker. “There are things you can do to escape and get away,” Charley said. “But in order to understand how to teach women self-defense, my wife pointed out some key points about women. Women don’t usually want to take their shoes off, they typically don’t have time to take classes to learn how to fight, they don’t typically want to be thrown around and they don’t want to go to a smelly gym.”

Tracy emphasizes they want women to realize the program is for them. “We’re not teaching women how to fight, we’re teaching them how to get away,” Tracy said. “We also teach children how to get away and this program is really designed for ages 9 to 91. Women often ask us what to wear to one of our workshops and you don’t get to choose what you’re wearing if you get attacked. So we encourage them to wear what they’d normally wear on a typical day. We also like to bring a little humor to the process.”

During the age of texting and getting distracted at all hours of the day by social networking, Tracy’s top tip is to always be aware of your surroundings. “No one seems to be paying attention anymore with iPhones and iPads,” Tracy said. “Always be aware of your surroundings and never let anyone get in your personal space. Keep a safe distance of 7 to 10 feet from someone who is creeping you out or giving you a bad feeling. This distance gives you time to run.”

Women often ask the Vegas about what to do if they are approached in a parking garage. “Bad guys come up to you. If this happens, put your hand up in a stop motion to their eye level,” Vega said. “You’re showing them you’re not an easy target and you’re also getting the attention of people around you.”

While Charley and Tracy affectionately refer to each other as the “Sonny and Cher” of self-defense, they bring a touch of comic relief to their workshops as well as relatable, real life scenarios. In working with children, educating kids on what can happen in the real world is key. “One of the biggest things parents teach their children is stranger danger,” Tracy said. “We developed a program called ‘The Safe List.’ Put five to seven people on the list only you would trust your child to go with or get picked up from their school buy. If the person is not on this list, give your child strict instructions that they are to never leave with anyone else. There have been several situations recently involving kids approaching the vehicles of acquaintances and getting into danger. Teenagers can also benefit greatly from having ‘The Safe List.’ It’s extremely scary, but 73 percent of sexual assaults are by someone you know.”

To escape a possible abduction, Tracy emphasizes it’s OK to teach your children to be rude in a scenario that’s making them uncomfortable. “Children do not need to be nice to everybody , especially people they don’t know,” Tracy said. “And although most parents tend to want to write their child’s name on the back of their backpacks or lunchboxes, don’t do it. This is how bad guys strike up conversations with children they don’t actually know. It’s better to use an avatar with your child that only you and your child know.”

If a car inches closer and closer to a child, Tracy always advises the child to never approach the car and if they are riding their bike and get approached by a stranger, never let go of the bike. “If an attacker is trying to take the child, it’s much harder to pull a child on a bicycle into a car,” Tracy said.

While companies often hire the Vegas to donate self-defense workshops to various communities, Tracy and Charley always encourage their workshop attendees to pay it forward. “If one woman or child is saved from our tips, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do,” Charley said. “Spread the word. If we show you how to prevent an attack, please show someone else.”

Visit Simpleselfdefenseforwomen.com for more information.

Copyright © 2014, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children

Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children

#womenselfdefense  

Self Defense Duo Teaches Safety tips for Women and Children

It’s an unfortunate reality, but every 22.2 seconds, a violent crime occurs in America. While every crime can’t be prevented, the way one reacts to these situations can.
Charley and Tracy Vega are a Florida-based couple who have developed Simple Self Defense for Women & Children. As leading Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children
personal safety experts, the duo has appeared on Marie Osmond’s talk show, Lifetime Television and a variety of news stations to discuss the importance of self defense and how parents and children and can become more aware of their surroundings with their live saving tips and techniques.

“We work with faculty, students, women’s groups, companies—anyone looking to increase safety in dangerous situations,” Charley said. “We were recently at a TV studio and they asked us to teach self defense to their employees.”

Charley, who taught martial arts for 30 years, teaches women you don’t have to fight to fend off an attacker. “There are things you can do to escape and get away,” Charley said. “But in order to understand how to teach women self-defense, my wife pointed out some key points about women. Women don’t usually want to take their shoes off, they typically don’t have time to take classes to learn how to fight, they don’t typically want to be thrown around and they don’t want to go to a smelly gym.”

Tracy emphasizes they want women to realize the program is for them. “We’re not teaching women how to fight, we’re teaching them how to get away,” Tracy said. “We also teach children how to get away and this program is really designed for ages 9 to 91. Women often ask us what to wear to one of our workshops and you don’t get to choose what you’re wearing if you get attacked. So we encourage them to wear what they’d normally wear on a typical day. We also like to bring a little humor to the process.”

During the age of texting and getting distracted at all hours of the day by social networking, Tracy’s top tip is to always be aware of your surroundings. “No one seems to be paying attention anymore with iPhones and iPads,” Tracy said. “Always be aware of your surroundings and never let anyone get in your personal space. Keep a safe distance of 7 to 10 feet from someone who is creeping you out or giving you a bad feeling. This distance gives you time to run.”

Women often ask the Vegas about what to do if they are approached in a parking garage. “Bad guys come up to you. If this happens, put your hand up in a stop motion to their eye level,” Vega said. “You’re showing them you’re not an easy target and you’re also getting the attention of people around you.”

While Charley and Tracy affectionately refer to each other as the “Sonny and Cher” of self-defense, they bring a touch of comic relief to their workshops as well as relatable, real life scenarios. In working with children, educating kids on what can happen in the real world is key. “One of the biggest things parents teach their children is stranger danger,” Tracy said. “We developed a program called ‘The Safe List.’ Put five to seven people on the list only you would trust your child to go with or get picked up from their school buy. If the person is not on this list, give your child strict instructions that they are to never leave with anyone else. There have been several situations recently involving kids approaching the vehicles of acquaintances and getting into danger. Teenagers can also benefit greatly from having ‘The Safe List.’ It’s extremely scary, but 73 percent of sexual assaults are by someone you know.”

To escape a possible abduction, Tracy emphasizes it’s OK to teach your children to be rude in a scenario that’s making them uncomfortable. “Children do not need to be nice to everybody , especially people they don’t know,” Tracy said. “And although most parents tend to want to write their child’s name on the back of their backpacks or lunchboxes, don’t do it. This is how bad guys strike up conversations with children they don’t actually know. It’s better to use an avatar with your child that only you and your child know.”

If a car inches closer and closer to a child, Tracy always advises the child to never approach the car and if they are riding their bike and get approached by a stranger, never let go of the bike. “If an attacker is trying to take the child, it’s much harder to pull a child on a bicycle into a car,” Tracy said.

While companies often hire the Vegas to donate self-defense workshops to various communities, Tracy and Charley always encourage their workshop attendees to pay it forward. “If one woman or child is saved from our tips, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do,” Charley said. “Spread the word. If we show you how to prevent an attack, please show someone else.”

Visit Simpleselfdefenseforwomen.com for more information.

Copyright © 2014, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Self-defense duo teaches safety tips for women and children

Walgreen Pharmacist Not Wrongfully Fired After Using Gun During Robbery, Court Rules

#selfdefenseweapons Self defense weapons what not to do. Here is the story from BNA.com :

A Walgreen Co. pharmacist in Michigan who was terminated after he fired his concealed handgun during a store robbery failed to show he was wrongfully discharged in violation of public policy, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled June 2.

The Sixth Circuit found that Jeremy Hoven, an at-will employee, failed to show that he was fired for exercising a “right conferred by a well-established legislative enactment.”

The appeals court rejected Hoven’s arguments that the U.S. and Michigan constitutions, as well as state laws pertaining to self-defense and the licensing of concealed weapons, granted him the rights to defend himself and others, and to carry a concealed gun while on the job.

No state currently prohibits employers from banning firearms on company property, excluding parking lots, according to a recent Bloomberg BNA Insights article. Approximately 22 states allow employees to store their firearms in their locked vehicles while at work.

Counsel for Hoven June 2 declined to comment on the ruling. Attorneys for Walgreen didn’t respond to Bloomberg BNA’s June 2 request for comment.

Worker Fired Gun During Robbery

According to the court, Hoven obtained a license to lawfully carry a concealed weapon after he experienced his first armed robbery at a Walgreen store in 2007. He bought a handgun and began to bring it to work in his pocket.

In May 2011, masked armed robbers entered his store, and one pointed a gun at Hoven, who responded by firing his concealed gun multiple times. The incident resulted in no injuries.

Walgreen officials met with Hoven and told him he could choose to resign or be fired for violating the company’s non-escalation policy. Hoven refused to resign and he was fired several days later.

Hoven sued Walgreen, but the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan ruled against him.

At-Will Exception Not Applicable

On appeal, the Sixth Circuit affirmed and ruled that Hoven failed to state a viable claim for termination in violation of public policy.

Under Michigan law, the court explained, employers may discharge at-will employees “at any time for any, or no, reason.” But Michigan has recognized an exception to this general rule where an employer’s reasons for firing an employee are “so contrary to public policy as to be actionable,” the court said.

It found that the Michigan Supreme Court has recognized three scenarios in which the exception may apply, one of which involves instances in which an employee “is discharged for exercising a right conferred by a well-established legislative enactment.”

The Sixth Circuit found that Hoven failed to establish that the exception applied in his case.

The court rejected Hoven’s argument that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and an analogous article in the Michigan Constitution, supported his public policy claim.

Although those provisions “limit some state interference with individuals’ right to engage in self-defense and bear arms, they do not prevent interference with these rights by private actors,” such as Walgreen, the Sixth Circuit said.

It also found no merit to Hoven’s reliance on the Michigan Self-Defense Act. That law doesn’t “confer” a general right to engage in self-defense or the defense of others, or to carry concealed weapons, the court said.

In addition, the Sixth Circuit dismissed Hoven’s reliance on Michigan laws pertaining to the licensing of concealed weapons, which state that employers shall not prohibit employees from applying for or receiving such a license or from carrying a concealed gun in compliance with that license (Mich. Comp. Laws § 28.425n(2)).

The appeals court observed, however, that the laws also expressly state that they don’t prohibit an employer from barring an employee from carrying a concealed weapon in the course of his or her employment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jay-Anne B. Casuga in Washington at jcasuga@bna.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Susan J. McGolrick at smcgolrick@bna.com

The opinion is at http://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/document/Jeremy_Hoven_v_Walgreen_Co_Docket_No_1301011_6th_Cir_Jan_03_2013_.

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June 2 A Walgreen Co. pharmacist in Michigan who was terminated after he fired his concealed handgun during a store robbery failed to show he was wrongfully discharged in violation of public policy the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled June 2.

Walgreen Pharmacist Not Wrongfully Fired After Using Gun During Robbery, Court Rules

Bret Taylor Joins TASER International Board of Directors

#taser   Bret Taylor joins Taser International the makers of the Taser Gun. Mor on the story from MarketWatch.com:

Taylor Joins TASER International Board of Directors

Taylor Was Co-Creator of Google Maps, CTO of Facebook, Now CEO of Quip

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Jun 10, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — TASER TASR +5.54%  announced today that Bret Taylor will be joining its Board of Directors. Mr. Taylor was the co-creator of Google Maps, CEO of Friendfeed, CTO of Facebook, and is now CEO of Quip. He brings extensive technology experience to the Company as TASER and its business unit EVIDENCE.com, looks to accelerate growth in the wearable camera and cloud computing space for law enforcement. Mr. Taylor will be filling a board seat vacated by Dr. Matthew McBrady, who is retiring from the Board due to a new job in the financial industry which precludes him from serving on the boards of public companies.

“We are pleased to welcome Bret Taylor to the TASER Board and look forward to his contributions to our strategy around growing our cloud and wearable tech business through our EVIDENCE.com brand,” said Rick Smith, CEO and founder of TASER. “Bret is widely recognized as a thought leader in software and online technologies, having created and/or led teams deploying some of the most widely used applications in the world. He’ll be a great asset to the Company and the Board as we work towards continued growth and success at TASER.”

“Mr. Taylor brings a level of expertise on product usability and design that is unmatched,” said Hadi Partovi, a Director on TASER’s Board. “I’m confident that his expertise and vision will help us in building the best technology to serve the public safety sector.”

“TASER is applying technology to important social issues that I care deeply about,” said Bret Taylor. “This is an important opportunity to use technology to protect civil liberties. I believe TASER is poised to revolutionize the public safety space with enhanced transparency from body-worn camera technology while leveraging the cloud to manage the massive data being generated by wearable cameras and sensors. I’m thrilled to be joining the TASER Board and look forward to contributing to the ongoing success of the Company.”

Bret Taylor served as Group Product Manager at Google Inc. until June 2007, where he co-created Google Maps and the Google Maps API. He then joined venture capital firm Benchmark Capital as an entrepreneur-in-residence where he founded the social network Friendfeed, Inc. with former Google employee, Jim Norris. Taylor was the CEO of FriendFeed until August 2009, when Facebook acquired the company. Taylor was the Chief Technology Officer of Facebook until the summer of 2012 and supervised some of Facebook’s newest and most important products, including the creation of the Open Graph, the App Center, and its integration with the Apple App Store. He is now CEO and co-founder of Quip. Taylor attended Stanford University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in computer science.

“Serving on the TASER Board has been one of the most fulfilling ventures of my professional career,” said Matthew McBrady. “It is a bittersweet goodbye to see such a talented successor join as I depart. I wish Bret and everyone at TASER a bright future and much success in changing the world again!”

About TASER International, Inc.

TASER International makes communities safer with innovative public safety technologies. Founded in 1993, TASER first transformed law enforcement with its electrical weapons. TASER continues to define smarter policing with its growing suite of technology solutions, including AXON body-worn video cameras and EVIDENCE.com, a secure digital evidence management platform.

Learn more at www.TASER.com and www.EVIDENCE.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

TASER(R) is a registered trademark of TASER International, Inc., registered in the U.S. All rights reserved. TASER logo and AXON are trademarks of TASER International, Inc.

Note to Investors

Please visit http://investor.taser.com , http://blog.taser.com , www.twitter.com/taser_ir , www.twitter.com/officialtaser and https://www.facebook.com/TASER.International where TASER discloses information from time to time about the company, its financial information, and its business.

Visit our Investor Relations Safe Harbor Statement at: http://investor.taser.com/safeHarbor.cfm

For investor relations information please contact Erin Curtis by phone at 480-515-6330 or via email at IR@TASER.com.

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Bret Taylor Joins TASER International Board of Directors

Mace Security International Reports Pepper Spray Saves Lives in Seattle School Shooting

#mace Mace Security International Reports Pepper Spray Saves Lives in Seattle School Shooting. Here is more on the story by MarkeWatch.com:

CLEVELAND, Jun 09, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) — On June 5, 2014, a gunman on the campus of Seattle Pacific University was subdued using pepper spray, according to several news reports and eye witness accounts. After killing one student and injuring three others, a building monitor used pepper spray to successfully disarm the shooter and end the violence.

Mace® brand employees offer their condolences and sympathies to the victims, their families and the community.

“Mace® Brand pepper spray is a safe non-lethal deterrent. We are glad that further tragedy was prevented by a courageous individual armed with pepper spray. Mace® Brand products can help defuse violent situations quickly and effectively,” said John McCann, CEO & President of Mace Security International, Inc.

“This unfortunate incident reminds us that the implementation of non-lethal products and strategies is critical for our schools. The use of these non-lethal products buys time for our first responders and can save lives. Secure My Campus is a Mace® Brand partner and offers comprehensive solutions for schools everywhere,” Terry Malone, a police officer and Managing Partner of Secure My Campus, LLC, stated.

http://securemycampus.com  | http://www.mace.com 

About Mace®

Mace® brand (otcpink:MACE) is a manufacturer and provider of personal defense, safety and electronic security products for home, school, business and law enforcement use. The company provides site assessment and integrated security strategies, ranging from pepper spray devices, and anti-intrusion films for glass to electronic surveillance and rapid response rescue networks. Mace® brand has been a source of non-lethal solutions since 1970. Mace® brand products are sold at www.mace.com  . For more information, go to www.mace.com  or write to Mace Security International, Inc., 4400 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103.

SOURCE: Mace Security International, Inc.

Mace Security International, Inc. 
Jessica Adanich, 440-424-5395 
jadanich@mace.com

Copyright Business Wire 2014 

Mace Security International Reports Pepper Spray Saves Lives in Seattle School Shooting