Statement by Casey Miller as submitted to the Tidings

Friday, February 16, 2007

Approximately 12, midnight

This is the statement that my brother and I did together.

I was getting ready to take a shower and go to bed when my first witness came into my apartment where I live alone with my young daughter and said that the police were outside and wanted to speak with me. I wrapped a towel around my self and stepped onto my porch to speak with the officers. The officers were just outside my gate in the alley way.

I asked what the problem was and they said there’d been a domestic call. I told him (officer Lecour) there was nothing wrong and that I was just getting into the shower and going to bed. And then I asked him again, "So what’s the problem, officer?"

He reacted as though I was being disrespectful and asked me to calm down. All I remember after that was he told me to get dressed and that I was going to jail. I was confident that I’d done nothing to deserve going to jail over so I asked him defensively why I was going to jail and that’s when things got out of line.

The officer forced his hands on my shoulders, I took my right arm and brushed at his arm to show him that he was being forceful and said let go of me. He then grabbed my right arm and twisted it behind my back and pushed me into my house restraining me onto my couch. At this point my towel had fallen completely off and I was naked and felt very violated in my person and home.

My witnesses were outside on my porch yelling for the officer to stop. For the officer to call a female and to let me clothe myself. The officers responded with "we don’t need a female officer." They said I would be able to clothe myself before I was taken to jail, I didn’t know why I was being arrested and was out raged by the officers way of handling me.

I demanded to have the police chief as well as a female officer present and they reassured me their "boss" would be there shortly. I managed to somewhat free myself from officer Lecour’s grip and grab a pair of panties and some pants before being restrained again and that’s when I started yelling for my male witness to get my cellphone and take a picture.

He managed to get a picture of me before Sergeant Alderman arrived. When Sergeant Alderman arrived I was confused to why the officers called in another male rather than a female to handle the situation, however I did request to speak with someone of that nature, responsible for the officers. I was so relieved to see the Sergeant and thought he was there to help me. He treated me with disrespect also and told me I was going to jail.

Not one time did I hear the words "you are under arrest." I wasn’t read my rights before I was handcuffed or any time after that. And I most certainly did not give those officers permission to enter my home.

I’m absolutely humiliated with being manhandled naked in my home in front of my little brother and my friend. I have a torn tendon in my ankle and I’m five foot two inches. I see no just reason for why any male officer would need to be so forceful with me, let alone while I’m unclothed and completely vulnerable.

I posted a 647 dollar bail for myself to be released from jail. The next evening I went to the emergency room to have my injuries documented. I’ve also taken pictures myself including the one that I posses of the officers arresting me in my home. I’ve been charged with disorderly conduct and harassment.

The officer handling this case is officer Vanderlip. The case number is 07-496.