Downcastmysoul

I was horrified to see the latest notice that we are not “free” anymore on a forum that caters to alternative news. This led me to the link and video with comments on this scary expose of police abuse.  This incident happened over a year ago and would have been forgotten except for the fact it got out on the Internet for all the world to see.  If not for the expose, only the Steffey family would have had to live with it in their private hell wondering what was wrong with THEM to attract such abuse —much like uninformed targets do.

Ms. Steffey’s cousin had called the police because Steffey had been beaten up by another guest at the cousin’s house.  When the police got there they got into a fight with Steffey over her producing the wrong ID when asked for her ID.   She had mistakenly produced the ID of her deceased sister that she kept on her for sentimental value.  From then on she was treated as a suspect.  Did producing the wrong ID make her a “terrorist”?  Not too many facts are really known about the case except that the officer’s dashboard camera was off when they started confronting Steffey before taking her in, and when she got to the JAIL, yes they arrested her, they strip searched her forcibly, making her sit naked in a cell for SIX HOURS before getting charged with some misdemeanors.  Later, a jury of her shears (sheep) found her “guilty” of whatever the police charged her with.

It took 7 officers INCLUDING MALE OFFICERS to strip this tiny 120 lb sobbing woman!  Only female officers are permitted to strip search a female by law.  Even a male doctor must have a female nurse in the room when performing any type of examination of a female’s genitals. 

The video shows her screaming while it looks like half the jail employees are stripping her.  The police, of course, defended themselves saying it was “for her own good” that they stripped her…I think they just did it for cheap thrills.  They must enjoy trauma conditioning “virgins” to law enforcement creating a stigma of being “dirtied” by law enforcement contact and creating yet another damaged human being.  They also then create yet another ready customer for the psych drugs so many people “must” take now.  If they had thought that she was suicidal, all they would have had to do is put her in a monitored cell and bring in a psych consult.  Obviously, someone wanted to teach her a “lesson”. 

I was damaged as well in a similar way, though not so badly as this woman was.  I had my contact with law enforcement here in this fair city before they found a bed for me at “that dreaded place”.  It is sooo ironic that I must live only blocks from the juvenile jail they took me to way back then.  I think even THAT was planned to demoralize me as I never envisioned living in THIS neighborhood at all.  The “yuppies” are moving in now and things are quieter, but this area was the armpit of the city until about 5 or 6 years ago.

I had run away from another local hospital and left the state.  I was caught by police in another state and brought back her under “arrest” since I had escaped the first hospital because I didn’t feel I was being treated right and no one would tell me when I would get out.  The whole mess, of course, started when I was made horribly despondent as a side effect of taking neuroleptic drugs that were prescribed by a local shrink.  She had convinced my easy-to-convince parents to put me on anti-psychotic drugs merely because I did not have many friends in school and had a rich fantasy life.

The pills made me low-functioning, anxious, depressed and sleepy.  It was like living in hell.  I had been a healthy, though lonely, suburban teenager until the pills and their effects ruined my life as it was.

Anyway, because of leaving the first hospital, I was considered a “criminal”.  Both times I was in the hospital I was put in involuntarily on 72 hour hold but given a “paper” to sign saying it was “voluntary”, probably to cover their asses.  I should have not signed the “paper” and seen if my incarceration, especially at the second hospital, would have held up in front of a judge.  I had the same thing happen when getting fired at a job…”please sign this paper saying you quit” they’d say, to avoid future lawsuits over firing me for nothing.  I was s-c-r-e-w-e-d each time.  They hope that you, the ignorant wage-slave, will think it “looks better” to say you “quit” rather than get fired.  Of course, I’m sure they tell prospective employers you were fired and all kinds of lies to back it up.

When I got back to this fair city (perp hell) I was locked in juvenile hall until a bed was available.  I was in a “day room” with other young inmates during the day and locked in a tiny cell with a roommate at night.  Every time my parents visited me, I was totally strip searched before returning to the jail part of the building.  Instead of going on dates, going to dances, and having fun, I had some bitch looking in my ass for “drugs” my parents MUST have given me.  I was luckier than Ms. Hope Steffey.  It was only one woman looking me “over” so to speak.  A female staff member also hung around when I showered.  Nothing much has changed.  My perps can “see” into my bathroom and observe me naked and “talk” to me over V2k while I’m in the shower…it’s the jail all over again.  Sometimes I wonder if my “original” perps weren’t disgruntled police or hospital workers angry at the fact that I “got away” from the “system” they were trying to get me into and never looked back. (no arrests, no crimes, etc.)  I still get harassed by police and also fire fighters and some city employees.

Because another inmate said I “looked” at a boy in the communal dining room, I was made to give up my contact lenses (don’t know why) and go to bed at 6pm the night before my transfer to the hospital.  For the transfer, I was blind, in handcuffs, and LEG SHACKLES.  Just like a mass murderer.  I rode in the back of a squad car.  If I had had the orange jumpsuit (juveniles then wore their own clothes, two changes a week) I would have been the SON OF SAM for cripes sake!  After that, I, who never had opportunity to need police before, never saw them again in the same light.

I went in the hospital/law enforcement system a nice suburban girl and left an angry young woman with many issues.  It took me years to feel like a normal person and not a patient or criminal on furlough.  By the time I had finally got over my bad feelings towards law enforcement, I was already firmly a target and had yet another unjust encounter with them.  (this time no strip searches).  This has solidified my negative attitude and suspicion towards them in general, even though there may be some terrific cops–at least the TV and countless books tell us so–I see them in a different light than a person who has not encountered them in a negative situation.

Since I have become a vocal target, the local police have laughed and joked about me when I encounter them in groups.  I see them “just driving by” a LOT by my house when before there were almost none despite the questionable neighborhood.  They have also taken to occasionally going around my block and even going through the alley which gives them an opportunity to shine their spotlight in my window.  Sometimes, they will sit in their squad car half a block away and “do paperwork” for an hour.  I also get the police helicopter hovering over my block and have also been followed by the police helicopter when I was on foot.  It made me feel like an ant being picked on by a gorilla.  They have also used small planes to circle over me again and again.  Even during the General Aviation ban after 9/11, I’d still see the “little planes” all the time, so I know they are police of some sort. 

The Steffey case does not shock me after hearing of all the “taser” cases, hearing of 5 year olds in handcuffs after having a tantrum, and of course all the police related shooting deaths that just keep getting on the news.  There was a teen shot to death in the BACK as he fled about 10 years ago. Remember the 90 year old grandmother in Atlanta who was killed when cops came to the wrong house in SWAT gear to make a “drug” bust?  It happened here, too, twice at least.

What I’m worried about is, if non-targetted citizens get such police abuse, what will happen to targets?  The only answer when I hear of a case like this is that the person was a target and didn’t know it.

I kind of put myself on the line with this post being critical to police.  Hope it was worth it to point out that police harassment is nothing new, yet it is growing by leaps and bounds now. 

P.S.  V2k is now using what sounds like a “cops” voice saying “take it down” “take it down”.  Should I?