CHP Pay $250,000 for Beating Pregnant Woman Tamara Gaglione

CHP paid a $250,000 to a woman who was hogtied and beaten by a number of officers while she was pregnant. According to reports the woman was originally pulled over for speaking on her cell phone and driving with a suspended license. After being pulled over she was asked to step out of her car and her and was forced to the ground. Initially the police officers did not check that a dashboard surveillance camera was capturing the event. However, it was later found that surveillance footage was in fact available. After reviewing the footage, a settlement was reached with regards to the injuries sustained by the plaintiff. The footage showed how the officers brutally assaulted and at one point kicked the then pregnant woman in the rib. Officers were shown placing excessive force on the woman back and handcuffing her all while she was pregnant. While there was no actual loss of fetus or other serious injuries reported, the plaintiff did suffer from the psychological distress of this incident. Police abuse cases are not un-common. There are many times when innocent victims are injured at the hands of police or CHP officers. Without the evidence provided by dashboard surveillance it would be impossible to have seen the truth in this case. This case send a clear message to CHP officers that there conduct is being monitored and they should act professionally in the course of their conduct. However, because these officers are financially immune from responsibility it is unlikely that they will be deterred. More Information: Assault and Battery Injury Lawsuits