rockin'robin
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Woman Was Tackled By Officers At Hospital In 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A settlement has been reached in the case of a pregnant woman tackled by police inside St. Vincent's Medical Center five years ago.
Surveillance video showed Melanie Williams running into the emergency room looking for help because she was in premature labor, bleeding and sick.
Police followed her inside and arrested her, as seen on the video.
Williams sued those officers, and both sides reached a deal outside of federal court Tuesday for Williams to receive $65,000.
Video: Hear 911 Calls In Pregnant Woman Who Claims Police Assault
Just before the incident happened, Williams called 911 because she was bleeding.
"I need some help ... because I am pregnant. I'm bleeding and I feel like I am going to faint," Williams told a dispatcher.
Dispatchers lost that call, so Williams ended up driving herself to the hospital. Police reports say she was reckless and ran a red light, so an officer pulled her over.
She told police she was sick and sped off, according to the police reports. Police then followed her to the hospital.
"They knocked her down, had his foot on her back and her neck and all this type of stuff," Williams' sister said at the time. "She was yelling, 'I'm pregnant. Someone help me. I am bleeding.' They took her back out of the emergency room and back out into the police squad car."
Williams gave birth prematurely to her daughter, Malaysia, 10 days later, and both are fine now, she said.
The lawsuit originally involved excessive force by the officers, but that was dropped. The settlement was something both sides agreed to, and Williams' attorney said he thinks it's fair.
There was also an internal review by police of the incident, and the officers involved were disciplined.
Previous Stories:
October 7, 2005: Mother Who Gave Birth To Premature Baby To Sue Police
Pregnant Mom, Police Reach Settlement - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A settlement has been reached in the case of a pregnant woman tackled by police inside St. Vincent's Medical Center five years ago.
Surveillance video showed Melanie Williams running into the emergency room looking for help because she was in premature labor, bleeding and sick.
Police followed her inside and arrested her, as seen on the video.
Williams sued those officers, and both sides reached a deal outside of federal court Tuesday for Williams to receive $65,000.
Video: Hear 911 Calls In Pregnant Woman Who Claims Police Assault
Just before the incident happened, Williams called 911 because she was bleeding.
"I need some help ... because I am pregnant. I'm bleeding and I feel like I am going to faint," Williams told a dispatcher.
Dispatchers lost that call, so Williams ended up driving herself to the hospital. Police reports say she was reckless and ran a red light, so an officer pulled her over.
She told police she was sick and sped off, according to the police reports. Police then followed her to the hospital.
"They knocked her down, had his foot on her back and her neck and all this type of stuff," Williams' sister said at the time. "She was yelling, 'I'm pregnant. Someone help me. I am bleeding.' They took her back out of the emergency room and back out into the police squad car."
Williams gave birth prematurely to her daughter, Malaysia, 10 days later, and both are fine now, she said.
The lawsuit originally involved excessive force by the officers, but that was dropped. The settlement was something both sides agreed to, and Williams' attorney said he thinks it's fair.
There was also an internal review by police of the incident, and the officers involved were disciplined.
Previous Stories:
October 7, 2005: Mother Who Gave Birth To Premature Baby To Sue Police
Pregnant Mom, Police Reach Settlement - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
