Wrongful death suit against KCPD

From The Star: Two Kansas City police officers repeatedly ignored a pregnant woman’s claims that she was bleeding and needed medical help, a police videotape released Friday shows.

Sophia Salva told officers nine different times during the first five minutes of the stop that she was bleeding or wanted to go to a hospital. After the ninth request, a female officer asked: “How is that my problem?”

Salva requested help at least 12 more times during the 30-minute encounter nearly a year ago. The officers arrested her for traffic violations, including a fake temporary license tag, and outstanding city warrants.

The next morning, after finally being released, she delivered a premature baby boy who lived one minute, according to a lawsuit Salva filed Friday.

The lawsuit prompted police to open an internal investigation. “We want to understand exactly what happened,” department spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said Tuesday. “It’s a matter of trust with the community. We want to make sure the community trusts us to get to the bottom of this regardless of the way it reflects on the police department.”

(Video of the arrest tape is available with the article.)

Comments

[Nick]

I wonder how come when she was doing the driving, she was going to the store. But when she was caught, she needed to go to the hospital?

[onetime]

it's called a cycle? wth? Usually when pregnant you don't do all of that. You're only 3 months pregnant? What kind of head up your a__ comment is that?
Maybe she went to the store to get the tape to put up the tag. If I were her and she was for real, I would have put my hand on my crotch and showed thier dumb a__es. They could have at least called an EMT unit after the 3rd or 4th time she told them. Sometimes I think it's no wonder people don't call police when they need help.

[William]

I really can't blame the police officers involved. In retrospect, the police should have provided immeadiate medical help but the police didn't cause Salva's medical problems. IMO, if she hadn't been evasive about the license tags the police officers might have taken her seriously when she complained of medical problems.

Salva choose to drive a car with forged tags, a suspended license, and no insurance ... no ones fault but her own. While those aren't violent offenses, they do put others in danger.
She isn't fit to be a mother until she gets her life under control

[blondie2hot7]

Nick: Sometimes people do stupid things, and what the cops did here, was clearly stupid. They know by now they are video-taped. Did they not know that this was going to come to someones attention?

The cops were right for pulling her over, no doubt, but denying her medical care, Uh Uh, not in America

[JC_in_KC]

Blondie - looking back it is easy to say they should have provided her with medical attention. Although 7 out of 10 people that go to jail come up with some sort of medical problem when placed in cuffs. The officers are not EMT or doctors. If you ask me KCPD has a flawed process in their booking system. When I worked in CA we had an actual medical staff (usually one nurse) at the main detention facility. They could assess the true medical condition. KCPD should adopt something to this nature to keep this from happening. Although this is a horrible tragesty their is plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the officers should have called an ambulance, maybe the lady should have called an ambulance when she started bleeding, maybe the lady should have drove straight to the hospital instead of the store, maybe the jail staff should have identified her medical condition. We can armchair quarterback all we want, but that will not help. I definately think KCPD needs to change their process and maybe her lawwsuit will lead to that.

[BS Steve]

O yes the big bad dangerous criminal that lost her child was driving with out proper papers....You nazi boot lickers are pathetic....This is unacceptable if someone says they need to go to a hospital...They probably do and if they are lieiing so what the cop will be waiting for them to get out if its not an emergency to care of their business...I do not think the statutes of limitations is going to interfere with their agenda....But for that female cop to say “How is that my problem?” is a joke....

And people wonder why cops are getting a bad rap......

[BS Steve]

The officers are not EMT or doctors....

Yea true JC but they are in fact emergency personel...Which they have a duty to protect and serve the people....Not just a lisence to arrest and shoot people....

What a bunch of crap...I guess this woman not doing her job and instead saying....How is that my problem?.....Is the unions fault also because you know that was just plain laziness or she thought it was not part of her job....Same thing huh???

I bet your supe's had super clean boots from you cleaning them all the time..

[BS Steve]

O yes and finally if this woman was one of that cops buddies and they were concerned about "bleeding" that officer wouldnt of said "How is that my problem?" she would of been getting help for that buddy....

But being how they were dealing with public enemy number one that didnt come into effect...All for driving a vehicle unproperly registered....And those of you saying that is a danger to the public...Oyea how is that dangerous???There are a ton of them on the roads everyday..And I am not affected by them..Also if you think it is financial well I have somthing called uninsured motorist insurance on my vehicle....So what is so dangerous about a car with the wrong plates???You people try to make a criminal out of everyone and are just sick...It will come back to you someday...

[JC_in_KC]

WOW BS, where to start. I tell you, I do love your insults, especially when I agreed that the lady should have got medical attention. You once again read what you want. I will agree that the 'hows that my problem' was also a poor statement to make. So now you want police to go through 'evil' medical school as well. Get real, police are not going to be able to be the do-it-alls you want. That being said a simple call for an ambulance could have taken care of all of this. BTW police do not go to the hospital with people for city/misdemeanor warrants, in that case some felonies either. This is known by many of the frequent customers (not saying she was). About the Unions, yes this is going to be the unions fault in the end. If the officer does get fired the FOP (Union) will sue to get her job back and will most likely succeed. If you doubt me, check and see how many times it happened in the past. But I am glad to know that since I think this lady should have recieved medical attention that I am a natzi bootlicker. Please let your intelligence shine on the rest of the day.

[Anon N. L.]

I have to agree with BS on this one. These people acted horribly, inhumane, and with complete malice. If this woman was driving w/ drugs or drunk or had weapons or something than warranted their actions it'd be different. They should have listened to her and at least hurried themselves a bit. Hopefully they can remain in their happy sheltered lives and never have a brush with difficult times, otherwise they might find themselves in this same situation.

[BS Steve]

" Get real, police are not going to be able to be the do-it-alls you want. "

You where actually a cop??

Right JC because you do not know jack s+#T about it....Ever heard of "Public Safety" officers they are in Riverside also in Gladstone yes they are cops also EMT's aswell as volunteer figherfighters...Now do you want to go on with your crap you keep trieing to tell people....About how good cops are...Also I doubt she will keep her job over this evwen though your nemesis the evil "Union" will be trieing to help her.....

Also gotta love your everyone is a criminal attitude how do you know she is a repeat offender??

Also on this....

" BTW police do not go to the hospital with people for city/misdemeanor warrants, in that case some felonies either."

That was not the case here now was it know it all?? The "fact" was this lady was already in custody and she could of been supervised by the cops it is how far they want to push their agenda if they decided against the excort however then she must not of been that dangerous then huh???

Go back to licking your boots now......

[JC_in_KC]

Once again BS your ignorance is glowing. We are talking KCPD. They are not KCFD, they are not MAST. Yes smaller agencies do combine the jobs, since it is less expensive then seperating the jobs out. Also I neve said she was a repeat offender, "This is known by many of the frequent customers (not saying she was)." "That was not the case here now was it know it all". This is the case hear, the article said she was released and went to the hospital. No police 'sit on' was done at the hospital. BS you obviously did not read my post of the article. If you are going to repond, it is suggested that you try to read what is there. BTW she could very well be a repeat customer, since she had a warrant for child abuse.

[Mama2~i~k]

Maybe she didn't realize she was bleeding until she was at the store. I know when I was pregnant I had to know where the bathrooms where wherever I was because I always had to go, even at 3 months. That cop must never have been pregnant. "Your only 3 months","It's called a menstrual cycle" -- I lost a child at just over 4 months and it is not something I would wish on anyone. Heartless B*&$#! I hope she losses her job. She has NO business dealing with the public. The cops should have called EMT at least. This is what makes it hard for the decent cops that are trying to make a difference by doing the job.

[me2]

I agree with BS on this one. I watched the video last night and they were very unprofessional and right down rude. I hope she wins a lot of money.

[JC_in_KC]

I did not see the link to the video, where was it?

[me2]

On the NEWS.

[me2]

JC If you havent seen it then let me say It was plastered all over the 10 oclock news. Yhe officers regardless of any policy did not have to treat her like a cockroach and that is what they did. SHAME ON THEM.

[Anon N. L.]

I suppose it's difficult for a male officer to possibly understand, but the woman should have picked up on her urgency at least a little. I've had a miscarriage, and it's terrifying and messy. I hope these officers get appropriately punished.

[BS Steve]

I do not care actually I hope this woman stays ok in her life this was just a dumb move on the cops judgement....

Not everyone is a damn criminal and not everyone lies when they say somthing....If that is cops way of thinking nowdays they need to get some help....Everyone who is not wearing that uniform isnt their enemy....

[JC_in_KC]

I think the male officers actions were fine, he looked young and probably had no clue in dealing with pregnant women. He called his female partner over, and I would assume she should know what is right and what is not with the female anatomy. I agree with you mam, they EMT's should have been called.

[monty]

I specifically got online to hear what apologetic bull-jive JCKC would come up with this time,I wasnt surprised or disappointed,pretty predictable.

I was outraged! It does not matter that she has 3 kids.... I tried for years to get pregnant, I has some fertility issues, & A miscarriage is something I would not whish one on my worst enemy! It is a horrible, & heart wrenching experience, even though I now have a child, there is not a week that goes by that I don't think of my first baby. I hope the officers are disciplined to the highest possible consequences.
BTW the first 3 months are the most crucial in a pregnancy.. the woman office just... well, I can't say what I would really like to say about her, but she needs to get a clue! A Menstrual cycle, WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT!!! HELLOOOOOOO!

I realize Police officers get every excuse in the book, but COME ON! They easily had proof she was bleeding, all they had to do was ask for it or have it checked... it's not like she said it once or twice, she asked several times.... while in jail they let her change pants constantly, At least they could have had it checked out....the officers Should have @ least complied... they could always arrest her if it didn't check out @ the hospital!

Nothing can replace her loss.... I Hope she wins the case!

[anon]

this might have been mentioed already, too much on here to read right now, but during the 12 hours she was in custody they had to give her a few different pairs of pants to wear because she was bleeding through them. I dont care what she did wrong there is NO excuse for not getting her medical care.

[Kelly]

I need to run outside and see if pigs are flying....I completely agree with BSsteve and Me2 on this one. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears when I saw this video on the news last night. I hope they both lose their jobs, especially the female officer. She was downright hateful to this woman and showed total disregard to her medical situation.

[me2]

Kelly..LOL.

[Regina]

Coming from a Momm of 2 that has had 3 miscarraiges myself. This Female officer should have to not only loss her job but got to some sort of sensitivity training. When a pg woman is losing her baby regardless of her history etc.. it is a very traumitizing experience. The woman would have probably lost the baby regardless of when she went to the hospital but at least she could have had the proper care and maybe by a stroke of luck saved this baby. The Woman officer should have at least been sympatheitic and at least called EMT's to check her. What a Heartless B*$%#.

[Anon N. L.]

Amen.

[JC_in_KC]

Monty - Glad to here that I am predictable. I mean the female office was in the wrong and should be disciplined, KCPD should change their procedures to have some medical staff to identify real medical issues, like this one. The amount of money KCPD is going to settle for would easily hire a few nurses for a few years. So if you predicted all that, way to go.

[jaylst]

I can't take it anymore. I read these every morning. BS Steve- "LYING,DYING,CRYING" An education and spell check would help!

William; Please, tell me you didn't say this. "Salva choose to drive a car with forged tags, a suspended license, and no insurance ... no ones fault but her own. While those aren't violent offenses, they do put others in danger."

How on God's green earth are you going to convince anyboy with a grain of salt for a brain that this lady's "lack of paperwork" is going to endanger another human being??????

I can almost guarantee you the lack of paperwork is due to a lack of money on the lady's part.

The cops were uncaring, rude, animalistic in their behavior, and totally unprofessional. The KCPD should be ashamed and those officers should be held accountable right along with the KCPD. If I was Chief, they would be fired immediately! (I'd fight with the union later).

BS, good posts. I agree. But, my son... couldn't you be a bit kinder?

Mwaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaa

[BS Steve]

jaylst,

Intelligent one arent you????

Anon,

No

[jaylst]

I don't mean to sound disrespectful. I'm sure you're a smart guy. I've seen people post in the past trying to tell you how to spell these difficult words. Do you really expect people to take you seriously when "lieing" is how you spell lying? Just make an effort! D1psh1t!

[me2]

Lol, He dont take to kindly to critism. Or anything else for that matter.

[BS Steve]

jaylst,

Yeop you are a smart one.......

Do you think I care if you take me seriously or not????? D1psh1t!

[BS Steve]

"O" look here comes another smart one.....

Goes the same for you me2......

[momof4]

I saw the video last night on the news and could not believe what came out of that female cops mouth. She was very rude. I hope she does get fired.

[Gunny]

You know, you guys that bust BS Steve's chops for spelling crack me up. It's probably not as much a spelling thing as it is a typing thing. Anyway, who cares!

Accdroing to a reseacrh at Camdribge Untversiiy, it dosen't matter in waht odrer the lteters in a wrod are. The olny impnrtaot tihng is taht the fsrit and lsat lteter be in the rihgt plcae.

The rset can be a toatl mses and you can slitl raed it whtiout plobrem. Tihs is beacuse the huamn mnid deos not raed erevy ltteer by itslef, but the wrod as a whloe.

[steph]

UNBELIEVABLE.

Thanks again George W.

[WatUpDude]

Well it looks like the ones that are going to get hurt on this one is the tax payer. I am certain lawsuits will be coming shortly. The city will settle out of court for big big bucks just to make the problem go away. Any city employee that cost the tax payer more money because of stupidity should be fired immediately.

[William]

"How on God's green earth are you going to convince anyboy with a grain of salt for a brain that this lady's "lack of paperwork" is going to endanger another human being??????"

Cars kill more people in the United States than guns. As a whole, people driving illegally cause more accidents, and are more likely to flee after an accident.

Perhaps I'm out of touch, but I don't consider driving with a suspended license or without insurance a paperwork issue.

"I can almost guarantee you the lack of paperwork is due to a lack of money on the lady's part."

I'm sure the lack of money is a factor, but they don't suspend your drivers license just for being poor.

[Mama2~i~K]

"I'm sure the lack of money is a factor, but they don't suspend your drivers license just for being poor. "

They do if a ticket isn't paid. For example, she gets a ticket for a minor offence, say her car broke down facing the wrong way on a residential street and she got a $100 ticket. She can't afford to pay it so eventually her license is suspended. I have been in that situation. Sometimes circumstances cause a multitude of problems. Either way, who cares what crimes she had committed, the cops should have at least called an EMT.
This girl did a lot better than me. I have lost a child early in pregnancy and I would have gone OFF on that female cop and her stupidity "Your only 3 months” and “It's called a cycle" - give me a break. I have know since I was 10 that pregnant women don't bleed in that way except in very rare cases and usually BECAUSE there is a problem.

[Legal Hispanic]

I believe that until a pregnancy achieves 20 weeks, once the bleeding starts it can be considered a threat of miscarriage. It may be true that the officers displayed rude behavior, but they are typical of the KCPD behavior under its present leadership. Stringent measures for some delinquents and tolerance for others can only foster bad behavior.

Before we start building gallows for the officers, let's allow the proof to be exhibited. We may be surprised to find out that there may be more to this story.

[The DB]

Yeah, I guess more to the story is that the female officer (if I can call her a real officer) has so much OB/GYN training she can make a call on the side of the road like that. Hell, most KCPD wouldn't even blink twice about a car with flaky tags, yet these two braniac jack booted thugs tarnished the KCPD by their actions. Where do they get recruits these days, McDonalds? Do they READ the policies of the KCPD, or do they just make sure they color inside the lines of the pictures. Pathetic for a supposed law enforcement officer. To serve and protect my a**.

[Mama2~i~K]

What more proof do you need?? Did you even bother to look at the video? Maybe if they posted pictures of the baby to show how premie he was? Even a "threatened" miscarriage deserves medical attention if it is requested.

[tim]

Cops in Kansas City are only good for shooting radar and that's it.

[Michael]

Wow, suspended with pay. Kind of like a slap on the wrist, except it's a free paid vacation and nobody actually slaps your wrist.

[Dr. Jess]

Regardless of how you feel about police officers... regardless of whether or not this woman is a hardened criminal...

The fact remains that NO ONE IS AT FAULT for the pregnancy loss. At 3 months of pregnancy, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING a medical professional can do to save the pregnancy if a woman is spontaneously miscarrying. It would have happened if she remained in police custody or if she made it to the hospital immediately. The police are not at fault... the woman is not at fault. No one should be punished OR win money for this inevitable occurrence.

[Take A Guess]

I can assure you that this is not the only instance of police corruption and brutality of this nature by the KCPD. On 2/24/05, I was sharing a cell with a very pregnant female. This was my first, and last time, in a jail cell. It was a horrible, demeaning experience, and I was there on a completely different case of police corruption (cops sleeping with prostitutes in return for offering confidental informant status). Nonetheless, guarding us that night were 2 male guards. One was white, very fair skinned and his hair was reddish colored, probably early 20s. The other was 30ish, and black. The pregnant girl was very young--maybe 20. She was black. She was about 7 months' pregnant. She was complaining because there was no water in the cooler. She kept yelling for quite some time for the guards to bring water and food, and the guards ignored her. The rest of us continued to take turns yelling for her, since she was getting very weak. She kept telling us she didn't feel well, and there was no place for her to comfortably lay down. The "beds" are sheets of metal, with no mattress, bedding, or pillow.

Finally, the young white guard came to the cell, and told us all to shut up. We told him that the girl was not feeling well, that she needed something to eat and drink. He turned to her and said, "If you were so concerned about your baby, you wouldn't be here for possession of marijuana charges." And walked off.

The black guard returned a few minutes later, with food and water. And he then turned to the pregnant girl and said, "If anything happens to your baby, you need to press charges."

There was a total of 5 women in that cell that night--4 black and myself, a white woman. We all discussed this matter amongst ourselves, and agreed that the young guard was an idiot, and had no business in the business he's in.

I hope that we are contacted to discuss this instance of police miscontact--but I won't hold my breath. Having experienced the corruption myself at the hands of the KCPD, it is not surprising in any aspect.

I hope that the KCPD finally does a complete investigation of their practices. When I requested a formal investigation of Chief Corwin into the corruption of my case, I received a letter from him which stated, "I spoke to a member of my staff, and everything is in order. I will not open an investigation on your behalf." Now mind you, I have evidence of a retired cop on his staff who sleeps with prostitutes, and in return works deals with Vice to make them confidential informants. The Vice Department knew of this illegal arrangement, and looked the other way. They are just happy to have prostitutes who cooperate with them--they don't care if they have to sleep with other cops to do it.

I have further evidence of a member of the KCPD staff who uses the KCPD database to look up personal information on people for her mother, a prostitute.

If the "person on his staff" who was supposedly conducting the initial assessment had contacted me (which did not happen), I would have shown this person the evidence, and there would have been no way on earth that an investigation would not have been opened. But Corwin knows his department is dirty--even the lawyers in town know it and discuss it openly--but nothing gets done about it.

I hope that these type of videotapes keep popping up, and show the KCPD for the crooked cops many of them are.

As I read on another interesting recent post re: our "beloved" KCPD--

"Reminder: the feds have taken over the KC PD TWICE in the 20th Century due to massive corruption...the question is NOT when KC cops and courts BECAME corrupt, the question is when ever were they NOT corrupt?"

Amen.