Shreveport Woman: Cops Beat Me When Camera Off

DAVID MUIR, KIRAN KHALID AND IMAEYEN IBANGA
ABC News
February 19, 2008

A Louisiana police officer was fired after a woman, who was pulled over on the suspicion of a DWI, ended up with two black eyes and bruises to her face while in police custody in November.

What makes Angela Garbarino’s injuries and situation more curious is the fact that Shreveport police Officer Wiley Willis turned off the interrogation-room camera after he and Garbarino exchanged words.

The video shows Garbarino requesting a phone call.

“You’re not going to let me call anybody?” she asks on the video. “I have a right to call somebody right now and I know that. Is this on the record?”

The footage documents Wiley attempting to read Garbarino her rights, but he runs out of patience and things get tense. He seems to forcefully put her in a chair.

“Don’t touch me again. Get away from me,” Garbarino says after a scream.

Then, Wiley walks over to the police camera recording the booking and turns it off. What happens next is a mystery, but when the video resumes the handcuffed Garbarino is sprawled on the floor and silently lying in a pool of her blood.

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