on your back I think you broke my right how much have you had to drink tonight none that's what's going on you can't do that man you really can't do it absolutely I can't be nasty that's y'all Deport I mean welcome home don't be nasty get Mandy if you don't call me nasty nasty I'm saying don't be nasty in August 2022 there was a controversial incident in the Newton community that Drew significant attention and triggered intense online debates it involved college student Tavon galanakis who was falsely accused and wrongfully arrested the incident occurred when officer Nathan Winters pulled over the 19 year old for allegedly using high beams while driving informed the officer that one of his headlights was broken but the officer seemed uninterested and didn't pay much attention to it instead the officer began questioning galanakis about his whereabouts throughout the night and whether he had been drinking despite galanakis repeatedly stating that he hadn't consumed any alcohol and offering to take a breathalyzer test to prove it the officer continued to inquire about his sobriety how much have you had to drink tonight none you mean officer Winters appeared skeptical and insisted that the teenager undergo mandatory field sobriety tests he continuously postponed administering the breathalyzer test the officers asserted that galanaka smelled like alcohol but when they eventually conducted the breathalyzer test his reading showed 0.0 indicating no alcohol consumption nevertheless they persisted and questioned him about whether he had smoked marijuana that night when's the last time officer explained to him that his slow response and inability to find his registration raised suspicion what's going on police officers cited slurred speech bloodshot watery eyes and perceived infractions during his field test as grounds to arrest galanakis despite his denials they took him to the station for drug tests but he was eventually found to be innocent and released now six months later the police department is facing a lawsuit filed by galanakis and his attorneys Matthew Bowles and Adam witowski for false arrest and civil rights violations among other allegations the lawsuit filed in the U.S District Court for the southern district of Iowa Central Division names the city of Newton Police Chief Robert burtis officer Nathan Winters and Lieutenant Christopher Wing as defendants galanakis claims that the officers lacked Reasonable Suspicion to conduct field sobriety tests when they pulled him over for using his high beams in town shortly after midnight he argues that the police had no probable cause to arrest him or believe he had committed any criminal offense as a result of the lawsuit the city responded by filing counter claims against galanakis they accused him of making defamatory statements intentionally causing emotional distress invading privacy and filing false complaints against officers Winters and Wing according to the city the officers followed standard operating procedures during the traffic stop and arrest and they did not violate any rules the city further claims that galanakis capitalized on the publicity generated by his false and defamatory statements to earn money the case is still ongoing and the final outcome has yet to be determined both parties are still fighting to prove their side of the story we have witnessed instances where police officers escalate situations instead of trying to defuse them unfortunately in many cases it is the police officers themselves who become the primary aggressors this was the exact experience of a woman in Phoenix Arizona who was falsely arrested for DUI on January 16 2020 a 23 year old woman named Mariah Valenzuela was pulled over by Officer Michael McGillis shortly before midnight the body camera footage from the incident reveals that Valenzuela parked her car in a parking lot and stepped out as the officer approached her the situation became tense when the officer asked for valenzuela's ID which she refused to provide my game holder a 23 year old woman wanted to know the reason for the traffic stop Valenzuela repeatedly asked the officer why she was being pulled over but he didn't provide any explanation he continued to request her ID and within seconds the situation escalated and turned violent foreign forcefully grabs Valenzuela and instructs her to put her hands behind her back frightened by the officer's aggressive behavior Valenzuela resists the arrest but McGillis tackles her causing her face to hit the pavement despite her smaller size he uses his weight to handcuff her Valenzuela pleads for help and breaks into tears questioning the reason for her arrest the officer states that she didn't provide her ID and was driving in the wrong lane allegations that Valenzuela disputes later McGillis then lifts her up and pushes her against his car telling her to act like a young lady don't you act like a young lady shortly after another officer arrives at the scene and Valenzuela is escorted to the back of a police car as a result of the altercation the 23 year old sustains multiple bruises injuries to her hand and face and a bleeding cut on the top of her head according to the officer's police report they claimed that Valenzuela smelled of alcohol and marijuana they alleged that she admitted to consuming alcohol and marijuana and also possessed a medical marijuana card as a consequence she faced multiple charges and misdemeanors including a DUI charge and a felony resisting arrest charge valenzuela's Attorney James palestini later reported that his client's blood alcohol test result was .043 well below the state's legal limit of .08 all charges against Mariah were eventually dropped including the resisting arrest charge according to a police statement obtained by NBC The Phoenix Police Department takes allegations of misconduct seriously and conducts thorough investigations into complaints during these investigations they review and document body worn camera footage in this specific incident the Professional Standards Bureau conducted a review and found no violations by the police Sergeant Ann Justice a spokesperson for the Department explained that each traffic stop is unique and officers use their training experience and judgment to determine the appropriate course of action when someone refuses to provide required information however ABC 15 investigators dug into public records and found that officer McGillis the most senior DUI officer in the department has been internally investigated 12 times since 2014. about eight of these investigations were based on complaints from drivers the complaints against him ranged from missing court dates and using foul language to allegations of racial profiling and excessive use of force subsequently Mariah Valenzuela filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Phoenix and officer McGillis her lawyer argues in the lawsuit that the officer violated valenzuela's civil rights and used excessive force during her arrest the lawsuit also accuses the Phoenix Police Department of fostering a culture of impunity that encourages officers to use excessive force as of now neither party has reached a settlement and the case is still ongoing on November 17 2022 the Tampa Police Department received a call regarding a woman trespassing at the Tampa Health Family Center officer Gregory Damon along with other officers was dispatched to handle the situation when officer Damon arrived at the scene he encountered the woman whose identity remains undisclosed and instructed her to leave the premises despite being asked multiple times the woman refused to comply and continued to sleep outside the health center one time come on walk to my car talk to my car why are you saying that but pulling me so going to drag me because that's what you're doing anything you ain't walking just walk to myself tell me that but you pulling me as you said it didn't say you officer Damon had dealt with this woman before outside the Tampa Health Family Center when he arrested her for trespassing in October 2022 when confronted again asking her to leave the area she denied any wrongdoing and became uncooperative refusing to follow commands officer Damon called her nasty and it was evident that she didn't appreciate his choice of words that's our department welcome don't be nasty nasty I'm saying don't be nasty do you have anything on you that can harm me poke me sick me but the back and forth interactions didn't stop there after searching the suspect's pockets for any dangerous items the officers decided to take her to the police station it was at the station where things took a turn for the worse for both the officer and the suspect upon arrival at the police station officer Damon requested the woman to exit the car but she adamantly refused claiming that she was brought to the station against her will come on Mr Marshall I'm a drag you out of this car I already know I don't want to drag you out but I need I need you to come get outside what you did off the porch of the doctor's office even though the suspect emphasized the importance of her consent officer Damon did not agree with her and threatened to physically force her if she didn't obey his instructions the woman on the other hand didn't seem intimidated by the officer's threats and even challenged him to go ahead and try to drag her unfortunately she didn't realize that officer Damon was serious about carrying out his threat come on I want you to drag come on take your feet up hey open my legs for your dump come on yeah is that what you're gonna have to do that what you did at the porch is that what you was doing and I want you to get that feeling guess what cause I was raised a ton of boy the officer didn't waste any more time arguing with the suspect and forcibly removed her from the car the woman was taken aback by the officer's actions and remained defiant refusing to cooperate and making some unusual comments you want me in this position dog boy when the woman continued to resist and defy the officer's commands officer Damon decided to take forceful action and began dragging her by grabbing her arm despite being dragged across the parking lot the woman remained uncooperative and criticized officer Damon for his aggressive approach she even made comments about her weight taunting the officer for struggling to drag her foreign officer Damon faced serious repercussions for his actions and remarks during the incident once authorities obtained the body camera footage an internal investigation was promptly launched resulting in Damon's termination from the Tampa Police Department the very next day throughout the encounter the woman used vulgar language repeatedly but the department pointed out that officer Damon's own rude and derogatory comments to the suspect were unprofessional this incident was not the first time Damon's Behavior had raised concerns within the department the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had previously alerted the tpd about Damon's actions but the department failed to take appropriate action however witnessing Damon's conduct firsthand LED interim police chief Lee berkov to acknowledge that the officer's Behavior was unacceptable Chief burkhoff emphasized the importance of professionalism in all interactions officers have with the public even when dealing with uncooperative or unpleasant individuals he asserted that Damon's actions did not reflect the standards upheld by the department which is why they acted swiftly in investigating relieving Damon of his duties and ultimately terminating his employment Chief burkhoff made it clear that the actions of one officer should not overshadow the work of the nearly 1 000 officers dedicated to protecting and serving the city the decision to fire Damon marked the end of his six-year-long career with the Tampa PD in another troubling incident involving police officers Christina West faced a brutal arrest in Tallahassee Florida the situation unfolded when West accompanied by three foreign exchange students returned from a day trip to Panama City and crashed her SUV into an unoccupied home in killer Estates fortunately there were no serious injuries resulting from the crash however things escalated rapidly when the Tallahassee Police Officers arrived at the scene body camera footage captured the events as West was asked to undergo a sobriety test by the officers she cooperated and took the test following which she was placed in handcuffs and led to the back of a squad car however the Handcuff slipped off prompting the officers to ask Wes to step out of the car for Readjustment at this point West expressed concern about her husband and kids asking the officers to contact them as she exited the vehicle the tone of one of the officers changed then shockingly the officer forcefully slammed her head into the rear windshield of the car in an attempt to restrain her the officer forcefully pushed her face onto the asphalt causing her immense pain and she cried out in distress the situation turned violent and left West severely hurt and traumatized amidst her cries of pain she manages to say to the officers I think you broke my right cheek one of the officers replies you're okay after the incident the officers helped her get back into the police vehicle and they drove away while she continued crying in pain later West faced charges of DUI and multiple counts of battery on a police officer her shocking mugshot displayed her right eye swollen shut in purple her nose was bloody and she had bruises and cuts on her arms and legs she was promptly taken to the hospital after being brought to the jail as the footage of the incident spread through the news it caused widespread shock and outrage Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones stated we understand that the video is disturbing to watch and it is for us too we use cameras to help capture events such as this and are making the entire video available as we continue our internal investigation a few days after the story emerged the chief decided to retire early in his career the Florida State Attorney was equally appalled after viewing the footage of the brutal and accident she expressed her upset stating it was very disturbing I am extremely upset this is a very disturbing situation to me and I am dealing with it following the incident Christina West and her lawyer Fred Conrad took legal action against the city and the police department alleging that the officers used excessive force and handled her aggressively the lawsuit further claimed that West sustained fractures nerve damage to her face impaired vision and other painful injuries a grand jury in Leon County investigated the case and found the officers responsible for West's injuries however they did not recommend any charges or termination from the force simultaneously an internal investigation conducted by the police department cleared the officers of any excessive force allegations eventually the city of Tallahassee decided to settle with Christina West and a unanimous vote resulted in her receiving a settlement of 450 thousand dollars following the incident the two officers involved Chris omarod and Matthew Schmidt face disciplinary action by the department Schmidt was suspended for 40 hours without pay while omarod received a two-week suspension without pay