California cops 'stomped' on pregnant black woman's belly and piled on her causing miscarriage, claims lawsuit
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA: A woman has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Leandro and several of its police officers, alleging that they stomped on her stomach during a traffic stop and caused a miscarriage.
On a lawsuit filed on May 25, the same day George Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for close to nine minutes, the victim Emerald Black said the incident took place on June 7 last year after her fiancé was pulled over for bad registration tags.
Black had been sitting on the passenger seat while one of the officers was speaking to her fiancé when she was ordered to get out of the car. The lawsuit states she was returning from Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, where she had been examined and was told she was at high risk of miscarriage and was even wearing hospital clothing at the time.
"Ms. Black remained in the passenger seat while one of the officers spoke with her fiancé," it said. "Although yet-to-be-identified officers did not suspect her of any criminal wrongdoing and she was visibly pregnant and still in clothing from the hospital, officers commanded her to get out of the car."
Court documents obtained by Mercury News said she tried to tell the officers of her condition and asked to be allowed to stay in the car but was ignored. It said the officers then proceeded to assault her.
"Yet-to-be-identified officers yanked Ms. Black from the car, stomped on her stomach, piled on top of her, and arrested her," the documents stated. "Furthermore, they refused to allow Ms. Black to put on shoes. No criminal charges were filed against her."
Shortly after the altercation, Black said a miscarriage, the lawsuit said. She also suffered "physical injuries, embarrassment, humiliation and emotional stress."
Patrick Buelna, Black's attorney, told Mercury News in a statement that his client, who is African-American, "had committed absolutely no crimes, nor was she even suspected of any."
"If officers were adamant about her exiting the car, they should have simply, and gently, assisted Ms. Black in getting out of the car," Buelna argued. "Instead, they treated her like she had just committed a violent felony, tore her from the car, piled on top of her and stomped on her stomach. Ms. Black was devastated by the loss of her unborn child caused by the officers’ senseless and grotesque behavior."
Eric Engelbart, the deputy city manager for San Leandro, said the city was aware of Black's allegations but said they were "without merit" and that, as a result, they had "denied a claim for damages." He also said the city "plans to vigorously defend the lawsuit."
The lawsuit comes as several major cities around the country took to the streets to protest Floyd's death. All four officers involved in the incident have since been fired, while Derek Chauvin, the cop who had placed his knee on the 46-year-old's neck, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.