Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suicide

Harina

Well-Known Member
Cut on Camera: Warren cop slices off young mother’s hair weave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBhmiKF6liU



WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) - Cut on Camera: a local cop – yanking a young mother’s head back and hacking off her hair.

7 Action News Investigator Heather Catallo has the exclusive story behind an incident inside the Warren jail that was caught on video.

At many jails, prisoners are required to remove hair extensions that clip in because they could be used as a weapon or to commit suicide.

But Charda Gregory didn’t have clip in extensions. She had a weave that was sewn right into her real hair.

Charda Gregory is a young mother who loves her hair. And the 22-year-old hair dresser loves changing her style often by using weaves.

But Gregory’s hair changed dramatically after an encounter with a Warren Police Officer.

Even though there’s no audio on the video from inside the Warren Jail, you can see Gregory kick her legs and writhe in pain as the officer plunges scissors into her hair, hacking away at the weave that was sewn into braids on her scalp.

So how did this all begin?

“I was confused. I didn’t know what happened and what was going on,” said Gregory.

Gregory says on November 13, she went to a party in Detroit, where she believes someone drugged her.

Paul Misukewicz is her lawyer:

“She had a couple of drinks, then woke up in a strange place. Didn’t know how she got there, completely disoriented, said Paul Misukewicz, Gregory’s lawyer.

That strange place was the Suez Motel on 8 Mile in Warren, where Gregory got arrested for trashing a room.

By the time she was brought in to the jail lock-up on the top floor of the Warren Police Department, Gregory had been pepper sprayed, but she appears calm.

It’s clear in the video that Gregory can barely stand as she comes face to face with Officer Bernadette Najor.

“She took it upon herself to get the scissors. And for whatever reason, decided that she was going to butcher my client,” said Misukewicz.

As Officer Najor pats Gregory down, the officer pushes Gregory against the wall twice.

Suddenly Najor starts going for Gregory’s hair. The officers struggle with Gregory, dragging her over to a restraining chair to tie down her arms and legs.

Officer Najor starts yanking Gregory’s head from side to side, chopping out chunks of hair. It takes 3 full minutes before Najor gives one final yank and removes what’s left of Gregory’s weave.

Gregory tells us in some places she now has bald spots because Najor ripped her real hair out by the roots.

“She’s a very horrible person,” said Gregory about Officer Najor.

“No words can describe how I feel about that right now. I’d rather not say exactly how I feel about that, I’m just very upset,” said Yolanda Ford, Gregory’s mother.

As the son of a retired Warren police officer, Misukewicz says he’s never seen anything like this.

“I guess the best way to describe it would be sadistic. There’s absolutely no reason for it. And it’s demeaning,” said Misukewicz.

“There’s a real simple thing: it’s called right and wrong. And to me this is something that I won’t tolerate, I don’t think the citizens of Warren will tolerate it,” said Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green. Green says Najor’s explanation that she had to remove Gregory’s weave because of alleged threats of suicide makes no sense.

“I don’t buy that’s the proper way to treat a human being. I don’t think it’s decent, I don’t think there was any reason to do it, and when I look at it – that bothers me,” said Green.

Green says as soon as he learned about the incident, he placed Najor on leave and she has since been fired.

“Is this the first time she’s had discipline problems,” asked Catallo.
“No,” said Green.

“Can you tell us about the past experiences with this officer,” asked Catallo.

“No I can’t,” said Green, citing restrictions on what he can legally say about a former employee.

But 7 Action News obtained Officer Najor’s personnel records – that show she was suspended without pay for 10 days in 2010 for being “untruthful.”

Despite several attempts to reach Najor by phone, she refused to talk to us when we caught up with her, instead screaming at Catallo as she tried to get Najor’s side of the story:
“If that camera is on me I will call the police! Call 911 right now!”

Meanwhile, because of what happened in the jail, all of the criminal charges against Charda Gregory have been dismissed.

“I believe it’s a travesty that someone in that position feels that they have the authority to abuse it. And I’m just very glad that she’s not able to do it to someone else,” said Ford.

The other officers who were present during Officer Najor’s haircutting incident are still under investigation and facing possible discipline.

Warren police officials say while those officers did not intervene, they did report Najor’s use of force to their superiors. Officer Najor did not report what she did that night.

Warren Police complied very quickly with the 7 Investigator’s requests for information about this incident, and did not try to hide what happened inside the jail.

“The men and women of this department are high-caliber, they’re ethical, they’re moral, they consider the rights of prisoners, of the citizens they come in contact with,” said Green. “What I want to communicate to the public is, the Warren Police Department doesn’t tolerate this kind of behavior, and we take it immediate action when something occurs. We are always in the process of reviewing things that happen, and trying to make ourselves better and more responsible to the people we work for.”
 

Gr8ness83

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I take solice in knowing that the b***h of a "Police Officer" (she gives us a bad name) is FIIIIIIRED! This doesn't surprise me at all. In all my years in the military and as a Federal Officer I have encountered more females with aggressive, confrontational and just horrible personalities. I have seen more mercy and compassion from my male coworkers than female. I never could understand what causes a person to lose it like that and abuse their power. HOW did she think she could justify that? The law, your department will back you up if you were acting within the scope of your duties but when you so blantently deviate so far then they leave you out to dry. I hope she sues.
 

Fenaxa

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

Sadistic seems appropriate to describe this. Just cutting that weave off like she's shearing a sheep. That video made me so mad and sad to watch. She definitely should sue.
 

Froreal3

haulin hard in the paint
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

She needs to sue the crap outta them.
 

Jace032000

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I'm completely disgusted watching this video! Seriously what threat did her extensions pose? They were SEWN into her hair. Unbelievable! 3 minutes to take down a full weave? Takes my stylist at least 10-15 mins….because you have to be gentle not to rip out hair. I'm glad to see that the officer has been fired…she tried to demean and humiliate this poor girl and ended up losing her job. Shame on her!
 
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curlyTisME

Well-Known Member
Ridiculous! I cannot believe this. She had intentions to humiliate that poor lady and it backfired. This means we need to start holding police responsible for their misbehavior.
 

brooklyngal73

SteelyDan/DonaldFagenFan!
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

True. I'm glad that the police chief did something about it. Usually cops get away with murder. :nono:

I take solice in knowing that the b***h of a "Police Officer" (she gives us a bad name) is FIIIIIIRED! This doesn't surprise me at all. In all my years in the military and as a Federal Officer I have encountered more females with aggressive, confrontational and just horrible personalities. I have seen more mercy and compassion from my male coworkers than female. I never could understand what causes a person to lose it like that and abuse their power. HOW did she think she could justify that? The law, your department will back you up if you were acting within the scope of your duties but when you so blantently deviate so far then they leave you out to dry. I hope she sues.
 

Gr8ness83

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

True. I'm glad that the police chief did something about it. Usually cops get away with murder. :nono:

Yes, they quite literally do... and it is a damn shame. The police commissioner was not even TRYING to justify or back her up, he knew damn well she was wrong and I am glad that he did not try to justify her behavior.
 

lushlady

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

Sigh. . .I don't even know what to say.
 

Guinan

Re-Branding
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I saw the video of this morning. I was disgusted & angered. You can clearly see that the girl wasnt resisting but instead they pushed her against the wall and dont even get me started with the female officer yanking the poor girl's weave out. I was shocked! I'm like dont these officers have more to do than to rip someone's weave out? This was a belittle tactic to embarrass the girl and humiliate her.
 

Harina

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

This reminded me of the movie 12 Years A Slave, when Mistress Epps would throw things at Patsy, wouldn't let her use soap, etc. So clearly trying to put her in her place, embarrass her. This cop is an animal for doing this and the guys standing around aren't any better.

I hope she never gets another job in law enforcement ever again.
 
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

Other than the reported incidences that the journalists found, I bet the officer is known for being a loose cannon. The fact that she did this to a black woman and they didn't have the officer's back speaks volumes to how the department feels about her.

Then she tops it off with cussing when the journalists try to interview her smh. She is just a disgusting individual
 

CharlieEcho

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I was disgused too, but really as black people, why haven't be learned to be compliant in the face of the law? There are too many examples of us inciting police agression which is a tinder box waiting for a spark. That lady who got 6 months in jail, the pregnant lady who was punched in the face and now this one?

We need to be smarter in the face of law enforcement. No excuses given ofcourse for this b cutting off her weave. Glad she was fired.
 

Gr8ness83

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I was disgused too, but really as black people, why haven't be learned to be compliant in the face of the law? There are too many examples of us inciting police agression which is a tinder box waiting for a spark. That lady who got 6 months in jail, the pregnant lady who was punched in the face and now this one?

We need to be smarter in the face of law enforcement. No excuses given ofcourse for this b cutting off her weave. Glad she was fired.

She was compliant... According to police reports, she was also drugged the night before. She was clearly disoriented and the female officer pushed her twice. She posed no threat, that was a blatant abuse of power and complete disregard for that woman's well-being. A police officer is responsible for anything that happens to a person while in their custody. One thing that has not been even discussed was why they did not get her medical attention. She was DRUGGED and they should have brought her to a hospital. Those officers failed on so many levels it's ridiculous.
 

CharlieEcho

Well-Known Member
She was compliant... According to police reports, she was also drugged the night before. She was clearly disoriented and the female officer pushed her twice. She posed no threat, that was a blatant abuse of power and complete disregard for that woman's well-being. A police officer is responsible for anything that happens to a person while in their custody. One thing that has not been even discussed was why they did not get her medical attention. She was DRUGGED and they should have brought her to a hospital. Those officers failed on so many levels it's ridiculous.

She obviously said something to set them off cause all 3 of them had to restrain her .

Like I said the police don't need much to go off which is why she should have kept her mouth shut.

I'm not sure the police do have a duty of care to someone drugged.. Isn't it the same for alcoholics ... I could be wrong I don't know that law.. Anyway I feel like if I continue ill end up making excuses for dirt-bag behaviour, so I'll leave it here.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 

IronButterfly

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

$1million for each track. That's all I'm saying.
 

Gr8ness83

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

She obviously said something to set them off cause all 3 of them had to restrain her .

Like I said the police don't need much to go off which is why she should have kept her mouth shut.
That is true, but there is a reason for that, when you encounter so many people, each one as unpredictable as the next, it is often better to get control of the situation, ascertain the status of whomever you are dealing with then go from there. Even police officers have families they are trying to make it home to and they are everyone's punching bag for 12+ hours while they are at work. Of course they are on edge and react to the slightest things. Having said that, there ARE some people who go into these law enforcement jobs so they can take their aggression out on the world, this female officer seems to be one of them. Those are the worst officers to encounter. I would like to know what they claim she said that was soo bad and threatening that they resorted to all that.

I'm not sure the police do have a duty of care to someone drugged.. Isn't it the same for alcoholics ... I could be wrong I don't know that law.. Anyway I feel like if I continue ill end up making excuses for dirt-bag behaviour, so I'll leave it here.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

:lol: too funny...
All four of those officers CHOSE to restrain her. This is why it is so important to know your personnel you work with. If an officer is trying to take down or restrain someone, their backup is there to do just that, back them up. Sometimes one officer sees something that another officer doesn't and that is not the time to ask what it is because in the blink of an eye it could mean that officers life. HOWEVER, they restrained her and could see that she posed no threat then they needed to deal with her on that level. Since there is no audio, you're absolutely correct, she could have said something that was rude, disrespectful or any of the above. There is no way to tell what she may have said and even so, they are officers of the law, they are supposed to have tougher hide than that and they are trained how to react in those situations and by viewing that tape, the did NOT react as they SHOULD have been trained. If she did say something, they should have gotten a pen, and a pad and wrote down everything that she said and they could have charged her later for verbally communicating a threat to a police officer or whatever the situation called for and it would have stuck like glue. She was falling over when she stood up and the female officer lunged at her. The ONLY thing that she did that could have been misconstrued was raising her hands to her chest/face and that looked to be in DEFENSE of the officer lunging towards her. Due to her size, there was absolutely no reason why all 4 of those officers jumped on her to restrain her. That exceeds the level of force necessary for that situation. The police are obligated to get the proper medical care for those in their custody. Since alcohol is an aggressor, most of the time restraints are used to prevent the detainee from harming themselves or the officers and despite popular belief, restraints are used to deescalate a situation. When drugs are involved, especially when the drug is unknown and it causes illness/blackouts, etc, once the officers have the subject/suspect in custody (which they clearly did) they are obligated to obtain medical attention for injuries or other serious medical problems. If something would have happened to her while she was in their custody then that woman's family could sue and shut that department down, just drain all their money... This woman was drugged and even if she did trash the room, there was absolutely no reason to exercise that level of force. I'm sure she was confused and they just made the situation worse. I hope she has a good lawyer, that department is about to bet slammed. I hate seeing stuff like this because it is a piss poor representation of the law being enforced in the manner in which it was intended. I don;t think that female officer will even be able to get a job as mall security after this. Sorry for being sooooo long winded. This is my job and I get thoroughly disgusted when I see stuff like this.
 

Spongebob

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

Firing her is not enough. That women should be compensated for the humiliation, and any pain she endured, and all this whilst being under the influence, which makes you even more powerless.
 

msdeevee

Well-Known Member
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

I don't come on here to e fight with anyone or tell anyone their opinion is wrong as so many do. So I'm not quoting or addressing this post to any 1 person.

However, from looking at the vid this woman was clearly drugged or drunk by her own hands or others. She could barely stand and when she did try she stumbled plus she was handcuffed. She might have been talking out of her head as drugged or drunk folks do but she was no physical threat.

There were 4 officers there that little woman couldn't have swatted a fly if she wanted to. There was no need for all of them to strap her down in that chair . It seemed to me that the one standing at the desk looking at the female cop or whatever was laughing or smiling. The female officer was 2x her size. They said they remove clip on because of the metal but this was a sew in weave. When they pat you down she clearly would have accessed that. What could she have done strangle herself or someone else with the thread? This was a clear case of racial hatred and abuse of power. The cop wanted to humiliate her . Thank goodness she was fired and I hope she is never able to get another job ever again even at McD's.
 
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DarkJoy

Bent. Not Broken.
Re: Police forcibly cut off woman’s weave, could have been used as weapon or for suic

So... maybe I'm just too thick headed to get it...

Wouldnt it have been as simple as handcuffing the girl if they thought she was dangerous to herself or the officers? It's ONE girl against, how many officers?

They should ALL be fired, not just the one, and brought up on criminal charges of assault.
 
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