CLEVELAND — News 5 Investigators took a deep dive into a federal civil lawsuit that surrounds one question. Was an incident at a Cleveland cemetery a case of a combative woman refusing to leave or did police officers act recklessly with a person who needed mental health resources?
It was closing time last May at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. A cemetery employee has called University Circle Police for help with a woman who wasn’t leaving.
“I saw her earlier. I didn’t think much of it. She was singing, you know, a little strange,” said the cemetery employee on police body cam video.
He takes the officer to Latoya Wilson, 36, from Cleveland. The cop told her she has to leave and Wilson said she’ll walk out the far exit.
“You want a ride up there?” the cop asked Wilson.
“No,” she responded.
“We’ll follow you out,” said the officer.
POLICE: 'HANDS-ON', USE OF FORCE' RIGHT AWAY
At this point, other officers have arrived. At one minute and 18 seconds into one of the cop's videos, this is heard:
“This is going to take a while,” said one of the cops. “She’s committing a crime. We could just go hands-on and just do a whole use of force thing.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking,” said a different officer on the body cam.
Just minutes later, the initial officer on scene waiting at the far gate for Wilson said this. ”She definitely got some, I think, mental issues for sure.”
WOMAN SEES BODY CAM VIDEO FOR 1ST TIME
“I was having hallucinations,” said Wilson during an exclusive sit-down interview with News 5 Investigators. She told us she has long suffered from Schizoaffective disorder that includes psychosis and mood symptoms.
“This is one of those things where people are too entitled to do what they want without consequence,” said one of the cops on body cam. “And now we’re just going to walk her out?”
“Did you feel entitled that day?” we asked Wilson.
“No, I did not,” she replied.
“Were you trying to cause problems that day?” we asked.
“No, I wasn’t trying to cause anybody any problems,” she said.
In the video, you can see an officer riding next to Wilson as she’s walking toward the exit. Wilson can be heard chanting and praying out loud.
“I feel it, mother! I feel it, father! I feel it, Jesus,” said Wilson.
“What you feeling?” said the officer.
“I feel it, mother,” said Wilson.
“What you feeling?” said the cop.
“I feel it, father,”
“What you feeling?” again asks the officer.
“Somebody going through something (and the cop is) not reaching out to them trying to help them or figure out what the problem is,” said Wilson after watching the body cam videos for the first time with News 5. “The only thing you doing is antagonizing the situation.”
RECORDS SHOW OFFICERS HAD TRAINING
Wilson has filed a federal lawsuit against University Circle, University Circle Police and three of its officers John Garbo, Bradley Nicholson, and Timothy Caine. Personnel records obtained by News 5 show they’ve had numerous trainings like de-escalation, mental health response, and more.
“The number one thing I saw in these videos was opportunity. I saw opportunity kind of written all over it,” said Dr. Tiffany Anderson. She trains officers throughout the state of Mississippi on crisis intervention. She watched the recordings and said she trains officers to slow things down and establish a rapport with the person in need.
“Remind them (the person in need), ‘Hey, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help,’” said Dr. Anderson. “‘Here’s what the problem is. Here’s how I can help you. What are your needs right now?’”
“Does any of your training involve antagonizing the person?” we asked her.
“No, absolutely not,” she told us. “We teach our officers that antagonizing someone is more likely to increase escalation.”
THE VIOLENT ARREST
As Wilson approached the gate to the cemetery that day, her prayers got louder. “Faith! Hope and love! The greatest of these is love!” she is heard saying on body cam.
She then veered away from the exit and further down the walkway. That’s when police go hands-on, just like they talked about when they first arrived on the scene.
“Start walking,” said one officer.
“Okay,” said Wilson.
“Let’s go. Come on,” said a cop.
“You do that again I’m putting the cuffs on,” said an officer.
During our interview, we asked Wilson about why she veered away from the exit.
“I thought that something was telling me to follow the trail,” she told us.
“Something in your mind?” we asked.
“Yes,” Wilson said.
“Even though you had been told to go out the gate?” we inquired.
“Yes,” she said.
During the incident at the cemetery, body cam shows Wilson falling to the ground. She said cops pushed her but it’s not evident exactly what happened from watching the video.
As officers struggle with Wilson and trying to cuff her, Wilson’s arm breaks.
“Her arm broke,” said one of the cops twice on video.
During our sit-down interview, Wilson told us what that break felt like. “It was excruciatingly painful,” she said. “I could feel my bones trying to rip through my skin.” She told us she now has a metal rod in her arm that gives her pain and problems sleeping at times.
THE 'CEREMONIAL DAGGER'
It’s important to note, you can see in the video Wilson is carrying what is described as a ceremonial dagger. She had it while walking with cut flowers and a stick. When she goes down to the ground and as officers struggle with her, the cap on the dagger falls off. You see that, too, on video. After she’s finally cuffed, an officer talks about the dagger.
“What’s that? Did you f——in’ stab me?” he yelled.
“I had that in my hand,” Wilson screamed back.
“Shut the f—- up!” the officer shouted.
Pictures given to Wilson’s attorneys show the dagger made a small tear, maybe an inch or less in length in the officer’s pants. Wilson was eventually charged with two misdemeanors. She pled guilty to trespassing and no contest to resisting the cops’ arrest.
“There are other entities that could have been actually helpful here,” said Brian Taubman who helps represent Wilson. “Instead, (cops) were in a rush. They didn’t want to be there. And they wanted consequences.”
From the time an officer told her to leave to the time her arm was broken, it was 12 minutes total.
COPS: WILSON 'SHOULD HAVE BEEN TASED OR SHOT'
Right after the broken arm, cops took Wilson to the hospital where officers talked further about her broken arm.
“I mean…if that’s the alternative in that situation, I’d rather take that,” said an officer.
“Yes,” said another cop.
“(She) should have been tased,” said a cop.
“Or shot,” another officer said.
Trained officers said a woman walking in the cemetery having mental issues should have been tased or shot. Wilson was in disbelief after hearing that on the body cam. “My life (was) completely in danger for nothing because I’m having a psychotic break, something that I cannot even control,” she said.
University Circle chose not to comment on the lawsuit but said it respects the process and will fully cooperate. Wilson’s attorneys told us the officers have faced no discipline for the incident and they remained on patrol.
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