Below is a disturbing video from the Summit County (Ohio) jail where Siobhan Householder, 35, is shown being thrown to the ground and having her jaw pried open by deputies because she had taken Tylenol while waiting in a prisoner-holding room. She was merely at the jail to have a warrant lifted so she did not appear in custody. Indeed, she was left with her purse, soda, and other items as she waited. What followed was highly shocking.

Householder, a mother of three, has a tooth infection and had swallowed the pain reliever when Deputy Eric Vaughn spotted her. She says that he demanded to know what she was taking and she said “Tylenol.” He allegedly ordered her to spit it out but she had already swallowed it. She says that she was only able to say “I can’t” when he pulled her up and threw her to the ground while trying to pry open her mouth. She had one of the three pills in her mouth but say that he was squeezing her mouth and pulling her hair — making it impossible to spit it out.

She suffered a bruised chin, cuts inside her mouth, bruises to her legs and some hair loss. The officer is seen later collecting the Tylenol bottle and a single pill from the ground. Householder was handcuffed and frisked and her bags were searched before being taken to Akron General Medical Center.

While she was in the hospital ER, she was hit with charges of resisting arrest and obstructing official business. She was not charged with any drug offense.

Given the sudden action by the officer, it is hard to see the basis for resisting arrest in this video and the obstruction charge seems to be redundant and equally problematic. We have seen in the past how victims of abuse are often hit with multiple charges that are later dropped. The concern is that police will charge individuals not only to justify their actions but to encourage a plea deal or at least an agreement not to sue the police.

What do you think?

Source: Ohio.com

Kudos: Michael Blott

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