by matttbastard
WKYC reports that since the release of the now-notorious Hope Steffey ’strip search’ video, 4 more Stark County, Ohio women, including Valentina Dyshko of North Canton, have come forward alleging that they were forced to remove their clothing when detained at the Stark County Jail:
Dyshko came forward to tell her story after she learned of Hope Steffey, the Stark County woman who was stripped naked by both men and women and left in a jail cell for 6 hours.
Dyshko says video of Steffey’s treatment reminded her of what she experienced 2 years ago inside the same jail.
Dyshko came to North Canton nine years ago, she says, to escape the fear of KGB persecution in Ukraine. Her ordeal inside the Stark County Jail stemmed from a home schooling issue. She says there was some confusion over the use of certain textbooks. “It was all a big mix-up”, said her attorney Dennis Niermann.
Dyskho was educating 2 of her 8 children at home. She received a notice from the Stark County Sheriff about a warrant for her arrest from the Stark County Family Court. When Dyshko arrived at the Sheriff’s office, she says she was quickly handcuffed and thrown in jail on a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
After this mother of 8 spent 3 days behind bars, a judge reviewed her case and quickly dismissed the case.
Lawyers for Dyhsko say she had to remove all her clothes because someone inside the jail determined she was suicidal. Dyshko says she’s never been suicidal. She complained to Channel 3 News that the gown she was given in the jail kept falling down, and at times, exposed her naked chest to male guards. “She was asked to remove her clothes and her undergarments. What’s the purpose of that? It’s demeaning,” said Niermann.
Attorney David Malik believes these cases are indicative of “a pattern where apparently every woman who cries or gets emotional is deemed suicidal.” Hey now, a textbook mix up is serious business; those crazy home schoolers who turn themselves in of their own accord obviously present a dire threat to not only themselves but also those poor, defenceless law enforcement officials. Besides, everyone knows the only surefire cure for hysteria–and the only way to keep everyone involved safe–is for detained women to remove all constricting clothes.
Safety (and compliance) first.
Previously: Obey: The Sequel
15 responses so far ↓
the regina mom // March 12, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Oh, mister three t’s, you’ve forced me to post an old poem right here and right now!
Her story
In legends, a sunflower
her head, turning toward light.
Hot, hooded, humid
eventually, she bares all.
At the head of Styx, Clitor, sacred city of Artemis
where the Great Mother’s flow and stop births Power, Force, Dominance.
The chemise cagoule features one made‑to‑measure hole in reams of fabric,
guarantees reduced bodily contact and virtually eliminates her pleasure.
To cure woman’s nervousness, hysteria, insanity,
they try her removal.
–Bernadette L. Wagner
(here’s hoping the formatting holds)
On Acceptable and Unacceptable Victims | Comments from Left Field // April 10, 2008 at 9:49 am
[...] more on the Hope Steffy incident here, here and here. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and [...]
joe // April 12, 2008 at 8:21 am
There has to be some more news on this case. How is the civil trial coming?
john454 // April 30, 2008 at 8:54 pm
The sheriff accuses the news of just showing parts of the video, to get sympathy for Hope Steffy, when the news denies this, he THEN admits that he doesn’t know what video they have.
So the news asks for ALL video & audio that the sheriff’s dept has.
http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx...
As of 04-14-2008 the sheriff’s dept has still NOT turned over all the video to Steffy’s lawyers or to the news.
One can only suspect that if this video was this bad the rest would certainly put them in jail for a long time.
The building video CLEARLY shows her being taped, while what looks to be the whole night shift, (4 men & 4 women) parade her down the hall. I guess the Sheriff’s web page that calls this a ‘unpleasant’ duty for his officers, doesn’t realize they have made a spectator sport out of it.
Link to Steffy’s lawsuit:
http://pamelahennessy.com/steffey.pdf
CUT&PASTE:
21. Gurlea drove to the Sheriff’s office with Hope in the back seat of his cruiser. On arrival at the Sheriff’s office, Gurlea left Hope in his cruiser for about 5 minutes and spoke with another deputy. It is unknown what was said by Gurlea to the other deputy. Gurlea then returned and told Hope to do exactly what the Sheriff’s staff said she should do and that she would then probably be going home that evening.
I smell a setup, this gets to stinking more & more.
john454 // April 30, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Just the stuff we know FOR SURE is enough to get these sadists jail time.
You don’t leave a victim without medical care.
You don’t have males on females, let alone EIGHT people to strip a handcuffed woman.
You don’t leave them naked, without at least a paper covering.
You don’t take them to be booked naked.
This has nothing to do with them thinking she was suicidal, it was almost CERTAINLY done to humiliate, embarrass, degrade and punish Hope Steffy.
And then there is all the disputed stuff that we have.
That she was attacked by the deputy without just cause.
That he pulled on her arm to get her ‘to react’ and then made it seem as if she was resisting.
Deputy and jailers claim that she was in mood swings, but NO VIDEO shows this.
That the deputy left her in the car, while he talked to someone at the jail. (This alone raises a red flag for me!!)
That she was told she could go home after questions.
That she was NEVER asked to remove her cloths.
That the officers attacked her without warning.
That her tooth & back were injured in the multiple attacks by police.
And then we have all the ‘missing’ video for icing on the cake…….
Mark A. Adams JD/MBA // May 3, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Everyone knows that the people are supposed to be able to peacefully remove bad leaders through elections, but what if those who control the machines, and their secret vote count, want bad leaders in power? Is there another way that citizens can prevent abuse of power without resorting to violence, or did our Founders foolishly rest all of our protection from tyranny on elections?
Yes, there is or was another way to hold our governors accountable without resorting to violence. If you want to find out the other civil check on government abuse of power that our Founders provided for us, then read What Happens When the People Lose the Power to Control Government and What You Can Do to Take the Power Back? http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_mark_ada_080204_what_happens_when_th.htm
The action os these police officers should be brought before a grand jury. I expect that they would be indicted.
goesdownbitter // July 2, 2008 at 11:27 am
http://goesdownbitter.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/stark-county-ohio/
Hopefully the federal jury will get to hear and see all the evidence and the tapes which are still missing will be found.
OUTVOICED // July 8, 2008 at 10:33 pm
THIS WAS DISGUSTING…. A FEW MONTHS BACK I REFRAINED FROM PRESSING CHARGES AGAINST SOME ONE FOR JUST THIS REASON THE OFFICER TOLD ME IF I PRESSED CHARGES I HAD TO BE ARRESTED AS WELL…. WHY? HIS REASON IT WAS A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE…. THIS WAS NOT DOMESTIC IT WAS IN A PUBLIC PLACE THE OTHER PERSON WAS DRUNK AND ATTACKED MY BOYFRIEND NOT ME .. I WAS THE ONE WHO MADE THE CALL…..THIS WAS AT A FLEA MARKET WHERE I WAS RUNNING A SHOP.. SOME THING IS WRONG WHEN YOU HAVE TO FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE AND THEN CALL POLICE AND FEAR FOR YOUR FREEDOM….
rcroftensen // September 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Those COPS are Sexual Preditors.
John 454 // September 11, 2008 at 6:28 am
As you may or may not know the grand jury brought NO charges against the police in this case, and NO information can be released about what evidence the grand jury reviewed. So we have no idea what evidence was presented to them, or what may have been withheld as too prejudicial.
I have no idea, HOW they could come back with NO charges, but I have read Hope Steffy’s trial transcripts and I have a few questions for the grand jury.
Ok first I have to assume that the official policy of the sheriff’s dept is that the deputies ONLY have to turn on their video cameras whenever they ’feel like it’.
The arresting deputy had a body mic & video control on him and could have started taping ANYTIME he wanted.
Other officers have been FIRED over not starting their cameras, but the grand jury thinks this merits no punishment at all?
After he’s taken the VICTIM and assaulted her and put her in the back seat of his cruiser and she’s mad and cussing him, THEN he turns on the recorder!
And then he wants us to believe that THIS is the way she was the WHOLE time.
THIS is the only video the jury saw.
Is this the way taxpayer equipment is supposed to be used?
The arresting deputy also testified in Hope’s trial that he felt that Steffy had “disrespected” him. This doesn’t raise any questions for the grand jury?
Then in trial transcripts the arresting deputy and the backup deputy had exactly the same testimony of Hope Steffy.
They both said she was staggering, slurring her words and smelled of alcohol.(Even though other PROSECUTION witnesses testified she was speaking “crystal clear” and did not seem that drunk, if at all.)
The backup deputy then continued his testimony by saying that he didn’t get there until Hope was being put in the back of the squad car.
How do you deduce that someone is drunk, staggering and slurring her words from seeing someone in the back seat!?!?
Ok, then we have the video of Steffy being stripped, she asks the staff ’what they are doing’ and telling them that “she hasn’t done anything wrong”. Do you hear her ’slur ’ her words? (I don’t.)
And once you allege that someone is highly intoxicated, doesn’t it seem necessary to do a breathalyzer? But none was done here.
But the grand jury finds nothing wrong with all these conflicting FACTS to the deputies stories?
Next we have the arresting deputy testifying in court that he had to escalate the amount of force to arrest Steffy. He testifies that you start out not touching anyone and escalate the force necessary, that is why he testified that he ’pushed her against the trunk of his cruiser’.
He then testifies that he had to grab her by her right arm, tripped her, and swung her to the ground to get the cuffs on.
The other witnesses testified that the deputy “flew into a rage” and slammed Steffy on the car and then threw her to the ground with great force.
How do you break someone’s tooth by a push?
How do you have someone bleeding from their nose and give them a bulged disk in their back by swinging them down to the ground?
The grand jury sees nothing wrong with the conflicting testimony and the FACTS of Steffy’s injuries?!?!?
He says that he used all this force, because he HAD to because she was “resisting arrest”.
Later in the trial he admits that Steffy slipped a hand out of her cuffs, but she TELLS him about it and never tries to escape! (Or resist without her arm being in a arm bar.)
The arresting deputy also testified that a reason he arrested her was that he was afraid that her disturbance would “generate more calls to the sheriff’s dept.”
Then in later testimony he said that there could have been no other witnesses to what was going on, because they lived too far away.
Just another one of many discrepancies of the cops testimony.
This is a professional??
This deputy dishes out serving after serving of BS and the grand jury doesn’t see anything wrong!??!?!
Then we have the jail staff.
We have Steffy declared suicidal. A experienced psychiatrist can NOT tell when someone is suicidal, but their doctor claims to do it, in seconds, with a few questions? And sometimes over the phone?? When’s the last time a doctor would diagnose and prescribe for you over the phone?? Sounds like malpractice for sure and probably criminal actions.
The grand jury sees nothing wrong in stripping people they THINK, MIGHT be suicidal!?!? Even though the person NEVER said she was, or had been??
And then we have men helping to forcibly strip a handcuffed woman.
By LAW, they can’t be present during a strip search, body cavity search, or even supposed to be where they can SEE women in the showers, but Swanson’s “policy” ‘SAYS’ its ‘ok’ for men to not only VIEW a forced stripping naked of a woman in a ‘suicide prevention’, they are allowed to PARTICIPATE and help remove her cloths!!!
(The sheriff dept denies that men helped, even as the video CLEARLY shows it happening!) But the grand jury sees nothing wrong with men removing women’s cloths?
And why THIS controversial way to handle it? Even correctional mental health officials say this is highly controversial method.
All these laws to keep men away, but the grand jury finds NOTHING wrong with this policy, just because Swanson “says” its “ok”??? Does this sound logical and reasonable? (Or moral?)
Why do the 3 men STAY in the cell after she is stripped naked and the women have left?
Why are they moving her around on the bunk and manipulating her legs in different positions?
Why is it done repeatedly?
So what is their explanation or excuse for all of this as to why the women couldn’t handle this part of “whatever” they claim they were doing.
The grand jury buys “whatever” story they are peddling and still sees nothing wrong??
Steffy also testifies that her ears were ripped, when they removed her earrings. Does this sound like people trying to “save your life”, or that even care what happens to you!?!?
The grand jury thinks this is acceptable and is in no way criminal!??!
Then add on all the video, that isn’t there. A seven year veteran cop doesn’t “feel the need” to turn on his camera? After 5 months of asking for the hallway video, the sheriff waits till the grand jury investigation, then announces that the camera “wasn’t working”. (The one in the building video that CLEARLY shows the LED screen on.)
(Even the video from the first lawsuit involving the three teen girls that were strip searched is “missing”. I haven’t heard anything about the Valentina Dyshko lawsuit, but I wouldn’t be surprised that video from that is “missing” too. )
This is the point where all the logic, reasonableness, and the plausibility of the sheriff and deputy’s story is REALLY falling apart.
Then the killer blow to their excuses, that they were not abusing Steffy, they were “just doing their job”, to “save her life” is what happens next.
THEY LEAVE HER NAKED!
Their excuse?
“She was TOO suicidal for a suicide suit.”
Huh? TOO suicidal for a garment DESIGNED for this situation??!?!
TOO suicidal for even a paper covering??
I never saw this in the video, all I saw was a traumatized woman who was humiliated, embarrassed and scared to death.
THIS is where the lies catch up to them.
THIS is where all the speculation of what was REALLY happening turns.
THIS is where we find out what was REALLY going on, and whose version of events to believe.
THIS is NOT an arguable point; THIS is NOT up for speculation.
THIS was done to punish, humiliate, and degrade Hope Steffy under the “color of law”.
But the Grand Jury can’t see ANY criminal actions by the police!??!?!
John 454 // October 11, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Well the CantonRep paper has posted ALL the strip video, or what they claim to have of it. Unbelievable!
Officials at Stark County & the State saying they could see nothing wrong with this video. And a few people on other sites have agreed with them!
BUT just so we’re all on the same page, lets review the video….
First of all, this video STARTS after Steffy is already forced down on the bunk. The camera operator tells investigators she doesn’t know WHY the whole recording isn’t there. And the piece that is “missing” is exactly when Steffy claimed she was never asked to remove her cloths & was assaulted by the staff. No problems with the ‘magic’ camera…RIGHT?
Plus what Swanson & the officials are saying is that not only is it ok for 8 people, men & women to be present, the men are also allowed to remove a woman’s cloths. EVEN if there are enough women there to do it.
And if a woman ‘reacts’ to being stripped by men & women, with spectators also standing there, while being videoed, the men are not ONLY allowed to RESTRAIN her, they are also allowed to pull her arms in submission holds, while yelling for her to “STOP IT”.
And then AFTER she is already stripped naked, its STILL ok for the men to put her in an arm bar submission hold, if she starts screaming while they force her crossed legs against her butt, while waiting to “change a mat”.
And its also ok for the camera, which is supposed to be on the prisoner at ALL times, to deliberately swing away so you can’t tell what they are doing to her. No problem here too RIGHT?
===== Yeah, just having a couple men TWICE her size, and a couple women, JUST restraining her isn’t enough, if she doesn’t cooperate, they can also TORTURE her into SUBMISSION. =====
And then once they leave, these “professionals” can have a good laugh…I guess they didn’t realize the camera was STILL running.
THIS is what ALL the Swanson supporters are good with…RIGHT?
Because Swanson and the “investigators” are OK with it.
H. Vermeer // November 19, 2008 at 11:34 am
Because these are no criminal actions, they are pigheaded scumbuckets. They abuse there authoritie to feel empowered. When i’m watching policechases or other police affiliated series from the us, i can’t understand that people can liv under these laws. Saddly we are going to take that same road here in NL.
Sorry, my english isn’t good enough to really say what i thinks. about these terrorrists!!
Josh // December 31, 2008 at 3:05 am
Did anyone else pick up on one of the male cops after leaving Hope in the cell giggling in delight while adjusting his latex gloves? Also as they were removing her jeans Hope was screaming ouch. They were twisting that bulged disc.
Excellent well thought out post entry by John 454 // September 11, 2008 at 6:28 am
Nora // January 29, 2009 at 12:12 am
I am a white, 56 yr. old, Christian mother of eleven children, grandmother of 13 and weigh 220 lbs. 10 days before Christmas last year I was pulled over for having a tail-light out on my car. I was asked for my drivers license, registration and proof of insurance.
I had everything but couldn’t find the recent copy of our insurance policy which my daughter had relocated weeks earlier to a different place in the vehicle after it had fallen out from behind the visor when she attempted to look at herself in the mirror. This made me quite nervous as it is always kept above the visor on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Since I could not locate it I was asked to step outside my car and was escorted to the back of my vehicle.
The wind was blowing hard and there was 6 inches of snow on the ground. I was not allowed to put my hands in my pockets to keep warm nor the opportunity to zip up my coat before I was handcuffed way too tight and made to stand on the side of the road for nearly 45 minutes exposed to the bitter cold while being intermittently bantered by 4 officers as they repeatedly told me over and over what they had the right and authority to do to me if they chose to do so. I was scared to death. I have never done anything in my life to ever break the law yet I felt they wanted me to give them any excuse at all to hurt me as the taunted and threatened me. I became literally afraid of what they might do to me and if I might disappear never to be found again.
They would put their face nose to nose with mine and spit out their intentions. I began to cry was shaking more from fear than the bitter cold when the idea came to me to just Pray Out-Loud and I began to pray earnestly through tears and snot running down my face for the Lord to deliver me and soften their hearts and protect me from evil. I prayed for my family and their well being, for my husband and my save return. I was in the midst of praying when it became very apparent that they had become confused and defused and eventually let me go.
The handcuffs were removed, I was given a ticket to show proof of insurance and I was told to get back in my car and drive to a truck stop less than a half mile away then park there and call for someone else to come drive my car home. If I deviated from their instructions in any way, they would impound my car and I would be taken directly to jail.
I was followed by their squad cars to the truck stop where I parked the car then used my cell phone to call my husband. As soon as the officers saw me use my phone they drove off. They never bothered to see if I complied with their instructions or not. I did of course, my husband brought our teenage son to drive our car home while rode with my husband.
The experience left me totally incapacitated. For the next 6 months, I was unable to leave our home or even ride in a vehicle. I could not hold my head up or look at others in the face, I developed a deep red rash over my face, neck, chest, arms and hands. I still break out in this rash every time I have to go into public places. I can’t even enjoy going to the grocery store. I was made to feel like a criminal, left for public display on the side of the road for passersby to speculate as to what I might have done. My story in no way compares to what this innocent, pretty, tiny woman had to endure and the hands of her assailants. I can’t in my wildest dreams imagine what the extent of damage to Hope’s soul has been, nor how long it will take her to be rid of the reoccurring abuse from this incident in her dreams let alone her waking hours. These type of law enforcement personnel are no better than Nazi’s in America.
Solace comes from the knowledge that they will one day meet their maker. Amen.
My heart goes out to Hope, her husband and family.
Our Freedoms are truly at risk in this country like never before. Our Local, State and National Governments are corrupt with calculating, amoral vermin to enforce the Law.
“We the People,” need to Stand together.
anonymous citizen // April 9, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Nora’s story is chilling, and I’m sure there are thousands more like it. Unless we stand up for our rights (=stand up for the rights of anyone stopped by the police), we won’t have any rights.
I remember seeing a TV segment (briefly, Sat. pm) in about 1994-95 of a policeman shooting a black passenger in the back (!) (note: passenger, not driver) of a car in Texas because he wouldn’t get down on the ground but walked (not ran, walked) away. Unbelievable, but other than a brief video on TV, it was business as usual.
Why so unbelievable? Check Ontario law (and imagine yourself a tourist from Ontario being stopped in Texas). Under Ontario law, a PASSENGER in a car that has been stopped has the RIGHT to resist police if they try to harrass him/her without reason. I.e., if the police stop a car for reckless driving, they deal with the driver, not the passenger, unless the passenger does something to warrant attention–like pulling a gun, etc. But the Texas cop just shot the passenger in the BACK. Nice.
Don’t the police get the fact that if these situations are allowed to go unpunished that it taints them all? Are they really that dumb?