NORFOLK
A prosecutor on Monday dropped charges against Pamela Brown, known as the Hula Hoop Lady of Granby Street, and police released a video showing her arrest, during which an officer shocked her repeatedly with a Taser.
Last month, Brown, 49, was charged with making excessive noise and assaulting an officer who responded to a noise complaint on the median of Granby Street near Wards Corner, where she hula hoops. Brown suffered a brain injury in 1977 when she was hit by a truck, and she has seizures and short-term memory loss.
The officer, identified in a police report as Nicholas Parks, is on administrative duty pending review of the case, said police spokesman Officer Chris Amos.
Brown appeared before Judge Gwendolyn Jackson wearing gray sweatpants paired with a heather gray sweater. Brown seemed unsteady on her feet, and she said later she had taken medications for seizures.
When asked how she felt about the outcome of the case, Brown said she couldn't remember what the judge said. She pulled out a medical identification card listing her conditions and said she had tried to show it to the officer who arrested her.
The two-minute, 40-second video taken by a camera on the Taser on Oct. 11 confirms that. For most of it, Brown repeats to Parks that her medic alert information is in the back pocket of her pants.
Amos said the video begins after the initial altercation between Brown and Parks - Brown has one handcuff on her right wrist, and Parks' hand is seen holding the other cuff. In a police report, Parks wrote that Brown pushed him in the chest, grabbed him with both arms, and pulled on the radio he had confiscated. After that, Parks wrote, Brown refused to put down the radio or provide her left hand.
In the video, Parks tells Brown again and again to put her hands behind her back. She replies excitedly that she cannot because her arm was fractured and has a pin in it. Her protests are sometimes hard to understand. Brown shows the officer a medallion hanging from her neck.
Parks fires the Taser for the first time about a minute and 20 seconds into the recording, when Brown swears. She falls to the ground, and Parks again tells her to put her hands behind her back.
When she says she cannot, Parks fires the Taser again. Brown moans. She again insists that she cannot put her hands behind her back. Parks says, "You can get your hands behind your back; you're out here all day. I know you can do it."
Parks succeeds in handcuffing Brown after a third shock.
Michael McKenna, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 412, heard late Monday about the dismissal of charges and didn't know the reasons for it.
"I can only say that I have to back the policeman until it's proven he was wrong," McKenna said.
Chief Bruce P. Marquis had no comment on the case, Amos said.
Brown's lawyer, Howard Copeland, said Brown will change her routine, hula hooping a block farther north on Granby Street in a more commercial area, and wearing headphones that permit her to hear both her music and ambient noise, instead of a radio.
Matthew Bowers contributed to this report.
Michelle Washington, (757) 446-2287, michelle.washington@pilotonline.com
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Noise control
The Police should do something about all these loud stereo's in cars going down the street before they try to stop someone that is just trying to have a life. There is nothing wrong with being outside hula hooping unless of course it distracts motorists when they are passing by. That could cause an accident. Has anyone suggested anywhere else she would be safe doing her hula hooping?
What police should take away from this
Your actions as a police officer, sometimes unnecessarily escalate situations that do not need to be escalated. If you would only listen and use good solid reasoning when dealing with people and not be in such a hurry to force your will on citizens things would go smoother.
We understand what you face, we understand you deal with people who mean you harm, but this lady meant no harm and that was obvious.
Tazers are to be used as an alternative to killing.... NOT FOR CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!
Many questions unanswered
I am no friend of the NPD and have not been so since I was a Marine stationed in Norfolk many years ago. There are serious questions to be answered here:
[] Why was this lady on the median in the first place? I seem to remember that there is a park/open grassy area very near where she was tazed.
[] With all the traffic on Grandby, how could her little radio be considered noisy? There are "thumpers" on Grandby that are louder than F-16's at the air station, not to mention the truck traffic. And just who complained? Was it a 9-1-1 call or did they hail down a passing cop?
[] When she pulled her shirt back to show the pinned area and displayed her medical medalian, that officer should have called for backup and specifically requested a female officer to respond.
[] Being tazed once is bad enough, but three times reeks of sadism on the part of that officer. If you are tazed that many times and still insist that you can't put your arm behind yourself, after showing a scar and a medical medalian, there may be something to it don' cha' think?
[] Who will pay this ladies medical bills? If that pin pulled loose, it'll be expensive to repair. Probably the State wi
Unbelievable ! ! !
Typical bully cop in action. Once the events occur that they feel they can legally assault you in the name of justice they waste no time in doing it. Anyone should have been able to see she obviously has something wrong with her mental ability. She's acting in a manner she's trained to do and repeating look at my medical alert over and over. But could Brutus actually take a second to look and see? No it might mess up his "justified" chance to taze someone. These goons live for the chance to do this and no matter who or what they won't let one pass by. How sad. This cop needs to get the boot and some sharp lawyer should sue Norflok (again) for what he did.
I'm sure if she was black it would be an even bigger issue(that means Riddick would appear). Since she isn't it will quickly and quietly fade to the background. By next week it will be swept under the rug and on to the next Norfolk city fiasco.
Abuse of power
The woman clearly showed a medical ID tag. She repeatedly told the officer to look in her wallet for her other medical ID card. She repeatedly stated she had a pin in her shoulder. She was not violent. Was it necessary to cuff her? No. Was it necessary to use a taser, not at all. I have seen more and more videos lately of some police abusing taser guns because they are considered non-lethal. The law now seems to allow human cattle prodding just for verbal confrontations alone. I suppose it is logical then that police could allowed to zap you for minor traffic offenses if you heatedly question why they pulled you over and they feel frustrated at you? After all, it is 'harmless, right? If that sounds ridiculous go back in time 10 years and tell someone that a 49 year old woman with a medical ID tag will be tasered and see if they believe you. Trends always escalate. He should have either called for back-up or sit her in the back of the squad car hands cuffed in the front if she needed to be cuffed. Period. I do not believe this was poor judgement, I believe it is abuse of power and police equipment.
I would also like to stress I have seen Norfolk police handle far worse scenarios wi
Purely digusting!
This officer should be removed from the police force IMMEDIATELY! How can someone put their hands behind their back when they are getting tased! C'mon! These officers need to quit being lazy and stop tasing people just because it's "convenient". I'm disgusted by this video. This is my first time hearing about this lady and to my understanding, she has a medical condition, which the officer clearly could see that she was explaining. This lady was NO THREAT to him in no way whatsoever. I don't understand why they can't cuff people from the front. As long as their hands are in cuffs, it shouldn't matter. I hope this officer is removed from the force because he is just despicable!
it's obvious
This woman needs to be placed in a setting other than the median of a busy street. Ask the relatives of Officer Cherry of the Chesapeake Police Department why you need to be careful when dealing with a mentally disturbed woman. One burried a knife in his neck and he was dead before he hit the ground.
Ms. Brown
I have had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Brown on MANY occassions. She often shops at the Navy Exchange and you cant miss her when she is treking all over Norfolk... She is the neatest lady!!! She will tell you her life story in 10 minutes but she can't remember what she said 15 minutes prior... She is a peppy little lady who has suffered a Hell of an injury when she was hit by that truck... She would never hurt anyone!!! She doesnt always understand what is being said to her, but she will smile and be sweet or come off with some funny little joke... I am APPALLED by this officers behavior. If anyone speaks to her it is obvious in about two seconds that she is really mentally hanicapped. He was not listening to her!!! SHe was treated horribly and that wierd thing is, she probably forgives him for it because thats the kind of lady she is, that's if she even remembers it!!! I hope he loses his job and NEVER forgets what he did...
I am usually very
I am usually very sympathetic to the police for what they have to put up with everyday, but in this case the officer was either very new to the force and scared or very poorly trained. It is digusting the way this person was treated.
I pray he is not allowed to remain a police officer and hope he can find a new vocation.
Deterioration
What an awful example of the deterioration of civl rights, liberties and the pursuit of freedom in the United States. How necessary was the use of a taser gun, did the officer really feel threatened and in danger for his life? Wow, what an disservice to the community and other officers who actually do serve for the greater good.
Hoola Hoop Lady
I have known Pam for a few years. She is a very nice, caring and gentle person. Her short-term memory loss is very prominent; she will repeat things to you several times over just a 10 minute time span. I don't know, and don't care, who called in this noise complaint to start this whole mess. Those that have lived in or around Wards Corner for more than a couple of years have seen Pam on the median of Granby Street, almost adjacent to Suburban Parkway. They know she is not there as a nuisance nor to start any trouble. It's simply her way of staying in shape.
When this officer showed up at the scene for the 'noise complaint' and called it in, he should have been informed of Pam's condition immediately. Health conditions such as hers should be on file with every emergency department within the city. All emergency personnel, not just police officers, should be properly trained on how to approach, and handle, situations such as this.
hula hoop lady
This was appalling! I didn't need to watch the video; just reading the story was horrible enough. I hope this officer is removed from the force. I am sure he enjoyed his dominance over this poor woman.
email address for the mayor of Norfolk
I am so outraged by the city of Norfolk keeping that awful police officer on the payroll that I urge all of you to join me in contacting the mayor !!!!!!!!!!!!1
Phone: (757) 664-4679
Fax: (757) 441-2909
Email: mayor@norfolk.gov
Fire that police officer !!!!! I'd be ashamed of him if he was a family member or my spouse.
but he is a representative
"This officer is not a representation of the great many good officers working the streets in Norfolk."
But he is a representative of the rotten eggs that ARE in the NPD.
An Outrage
First of all I am sorry for Ms. Brown for her treatment at the hands of P.O. Parks. The excessive force used by P.O. Parks inexcusable! This is an atrocious way to treat any citizen. It is clear to me that Ms. Brown offered more than enough times a sound reasoning as to why she could not comply with P.O. Parks' orders. I just wanted to add to the conversation that I hope that if you are as outraged as I am concerning this case, that you take a few moments to write the Police Chief or Mayor of Norfolk and lodge your complaint. Simply posting our opinions here is not enough to change the policies/training at the NPD. Please, if you care about the treatment of your fellow man or woman, take the time out to write a letter. I hope that the Commonwealth's Attorney General gets involved here, this was criminal, man of the law or not!
Abuse of the peoples trust
If one of us were to walk up to another person, and do what this officer did, only with out the gun and badge, we would be in prison.
Not fired, not reprimanded, we would be in prison.
This was an assault on a citizen by those hired to protect. The fact he has a badge and gun is suppose to mean he is our hired protector and help...Ms. Browns protector and help.....he knows better and therefore should be held to higher standard....and therefore should be held more accountable. He abused trust and power given him by the people.
To get a good perspective, ask this question.
What would be done to the guy holding the tazer if he were not wearing a badge and a gun ? I think that is the appropriate action to take.
Give credit to the Norfolk
Give credit to the Norfolk Police department for releasing this video. This officer is not a representation of the great many good officers working the streets in Norfolk. I'm sure many Norfolk officers are just as upset about this as the public is.
hula hoop
This officer should not only be fired, He should be JAILED.
It is quite obvious this woman had mental health issues but instead of using a little common sense decided to use brute force.
I don't like lawyers, but I sure hope one
picks up this case pro bono. This abuse of a handicapped women is despicable. What is even more outrageous is a block further down Little Creek Road, pimps, hookers, dope dealers and other criminals are running wild with no fear of arrest.
hula hoop lady
I know I am in the minority ..but where is this woman's family..you would not let a child hulla hoop in traffic!