Who is Stephanie Bottom? NC cops grab Black woman, 68, by hair yanking her out of car in shocking bodycam clip
In graphic bodycam footage from North Carolina, cops can be seen yanking an elderly Black woman out of her car by her hair. The video from a 2019 traffic stop resurfaced after the victim of the excessive force, identified as Stephanie Bottom, filed a federal lawsuit alleging cops tore her rotator cuff in the process of getting her out of her car.
Who is Stephanie Bottom?
The Atlanta-based librarian was allegedly assaulted by cops in 2019, during a traffic stop. On Wednesday, April 21, Bottom filed a federal lawsuit against the two White cops from the Salisbury Police Department and Rowan County Sheriff’s office. She alleged excessive force that tore her rotator cuff when the cops allegedly pulled her out of the car.
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Bottom was put through the harrowing incident on May 31, 2019, when she was pulled over while driving to a funeral in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was 66 at the time of the incident; now 68, Bottom opened up to the Charlotte Observer recounting how the cops had stopped her “for driving 80 mph in a 70 mph zone and failing to heed blue lights."
Bottom's lawsuit against North Carolina cops
Bottom mentions in her lawsuit she was playing music loudly in the car and wasn't able to hear at first that cops were trying to pull her over. She also asserts that at the time she was posing no threat to the officers.
The incident was recorded on bodycam footage which was initially obtained by the Charlotte Observer and later tweeted to the public by user Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2). It begins with one of the officers walking towards the passenger side of Bottoms car with his gun drawn out. He then walks over to the driver's side and with his partner's help, grabs Bottom by the hair and throws her on the ground. Bottom can be seen writhing in pain, screaming as they twist her arms behind her to handcuff her.
GRAPHIC ⚠️ This is part 2 of police in North Carolina assaulting an elderly Black librarian on her way to a funeral pic.twitter.com/WPmTwus3Qc
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) April 26, 2021
'You're going to jail now'
When she asks why they were handcuffing her, one of the officers tells Bottom they had been following her for 10 miles. Bottom then clarifies she “wasn’t running, I was just driving.” The officer replies “You’re going to jail now." The other officer can then be heard telling Bottom, “Ma’am, there were three police cars behind you for about 10 miles." He continues: "It was a simple traffic stop. All we had to do was write you a ticket, and you turned it into this.”
One of the officers at the scene can be heard saying, “That’s good police work, baby.” Bottom's lawsuit also alleges that one of them “bragged about ‘grabbing a handful of dreads,’ and said ‘at that point she earned it.’” Salisbury spokeswoman Linda McElroy shared with the Charlotte Observer through an email that city officials weren't at liberty to discuss pending cases. She wrote: “The Salisbury Police always strives for positive interactions with our residents and visitors, including in cases where we may suspect criminal activity.”