Author Topic: Woman Dies in Custody at Airport (Read 928 times)

rogwar · « **on:** September 30, 2007, 10:09:09 PM »

As many of you may know, I travel a lot and have seen this type of thing happen from time to time. People get all weirded out about missing a flight and such.

However, my questions is how would one choke on handcuffs assuming they are behind her back? I've been trying to think about that one and have no answer.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070930/D8S01G0O0.html

If the handcuffs were in front I could see how a disturbed person might use them to deliberately choke yourself.

Russian · « **Reply #1 on:** September 30, 2007, 10:13:02 PM »

The body passes out way before she can 'chock' herself.

SteveBailey · « **Reply #2 on:** September 30, 2007, 10:36:51 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Russian
The body passes out way before she can 'chock' herself.

Obviously she didn't choke herself on purpose. I'm interested to see what position she got her body in that she managed to have the cuffs around her neck. Maybe she got stuck folded over so she couldn't expand her chest cavity and suffocated.. I am morbidly curious.

Rollins · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:42:21 AM »

Agree with that as a strong possibility, Steve. Having had several people I've dealt with try to wrangle out of cuffs or get their hands out front, the most popular method seems to be the -scrunch up and get your feet through your arms- method (for lack of a better term!)

At the apex, you would be pretty well folded up and if you got stuck that way with the handcuffed hands on the bottom of your feet, I can see the asphyxiation occurring.

But up around the neck? Weird...

rogwar · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:47:43 AM »

that's what I was thinking....asphyxiation in such a position...as opposed to handcuffs around the neck. Somethings not right in the story.

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2007, 07:29:44 AM »

People have died from being hog-tied with handcuffs.

Maverick · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2007, 11:28:46 AM »

Nothing in the story attributes the cause of death yet. There is also nothing that indicates that she was cuffed behind her back. She may well have simply died of natural causes or had some kind of seizure. The autopsy will likely have some answers for that later.

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2007, 11:31:35 AM »

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/01/phoenix.airport.death/index.html

"Police handcuffed Gotbaum with her hands behind her back and took her a holding cell, where she was later found dead, said Hill.

Police "found her with the handcuffs up by her neck area," Hill said. Gotbaum was unconscious and police and firefighters tried to revive her by CPR and other means, Hill said. "They could not revive her and tragically, she died."

Maverick · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2007, 11:45:21 AM »

It would be nice if they described better what they mean by the cuffs were up by her neck area?

It's not uncommon for a woman cuffed in back to be able to move her arms up front, but the neck comment is just really vague.

Chairboy · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:23:11 PM »

That's pretty sad, I feel for her family. I hope they'll be able to figure out what happened and present some tips for preventing a repetition that other security and LEOs can use.

Shuffler · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:27:32 PM »

Cause of death..... Stupidity

SteveBailey · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:31:32 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
That's pretty sad, I feel for her family. I hope they'll be able to figure out what happened and present some tips for preventing a repetition that other security and LEOs can use.

We are going to find, via the autopsy, that the action of the LEO's had nothing to do with her death, I feel.

SkyRock · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:31:39 PM »

The woman was a spoiled pompous brat!

john9001 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:36:38 PM »

i have a question, if you place someone in custody, is that persons welfare your responsibly?

Maverick · « **Reply #14 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:40:55 PM »

Yes it is. That does not mean you are responsible for a pre existing medical condition or a deliberate attempt to injure themselves as soon as you turn your back. Even a suicide watch is not necessarily constant eyes on monitoring.