Plaintiff:
Olympia McGill
Incident date:
06/29/2011
Location:
3000 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Allegations:
McGill, who has autism, was riding her bike near Sacramento and Roosevelt when officers blocked her path with their car, throwing her from her bicycle. Although more than 20 neighbors told the officers she was autistic and had significant cognitive impairments, the officers arrested McGill. The officers handled McGill roughly during the arrest, fracturing her neck when one of them put his knee in the back of her neck, putting handcuffs on her so tight that the cuffs punctured her skin, and dragging her into the police car. McGill was held at the station for several hours without medical treatment but was not charged with any crime. Her family later took her to Mt. Sinai Hospital for treatment. The arrest was so traumatic that McGill, who after years of work with teachers and counselors had been able to interact with strangers, became afraid to leave her home or talk to people other than her family.