Woman Says Police Caused Her Miscarriage By Tasing Her, Using Excessive Force

Woman Says Police Caused Her Miscarriage By Tasing Her, Using Excessive Force is a story about Elaina Turner, who claims she was tasered by a white officer when police showed up at her home to tow the car of her fiancé, Ulysses Green, in 2013. As a result of the altercation, Turner claims in a lawsuit, that lost the baby she was carrying.

In a civil rights lawsuit filed by the couple on July 31, Turner and Green claim that when officers came to their home on August 2, 2013, to tow away Green’s van, there was no reason for the towing. An argument between them and the officers ensued. Along with their attorney, Jeffrey Granich, they are challenging the continued employment of an officer who allegedly has a questionable track record of violence and what they believe to be a “code of silence” on the part of the city.

The Huffington Post reports that the City and Officers Patrick Kelly, Jeffrey Weber and James Kubick are all named in the lawsuit.

Woman Says Police Caused Her Miscarriage By Tasing Her

The suit claims that Turner was wrongly arrested after she engaged in an argument with one of the officers and excessive force, leading to a miscarriage, was used against her. It further claims that the city routinely engages in the “concealment and suppression of the existence of police officer misconduct.”

Shortly after an argument developed between the officers about why they were towing Green’s van, Turner began filming the incident on her phone as proof of wrongdoing, she said. Turner also claims she was refused the right to retrieve her items from Green’s van.

Ignoring the negative answer on retrieving their items, Turner approached the van but claims one of the officers slapped the phone out of her hands. He then allegedly grabbed her wrist as she bent down to pick up her phone.

“I pulled my hands back with my hands facing him, both of my hands to him, like, ‘Officer, please don’t touch me, I’m not touching you, and I’m not doing anything, and I’m not going to approach the vehicle,’” Turner said. “And then I hear him say, ‘tase her.’”

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Turner claims that the officer used the weapon on her while she was standing and again after she was on the ground. She claims that although she was several weeks pregnant at the time, the officer tased her in the stomach, leg and arm.

“I’m screaming in excruciating pain, and I’m screaming, like, you know, what is going on? Like what am I being tased for, and I’m not even doing anything,” Turner continued. “My kids on the porch, they’re screaming, everybody outside, they’re looking like, ‘what are you tasing her for, like, that’s a pregnant lady.’”

According to the lawsuit, Turner was arrested for resisting or obstructing and Green was charged twelve days later with aggravated assault on an officer. Turner was taken to a hospital following her arrest and spent the night in jail.

Turner went to the hospital, due to heavy bleeding, less than one week after the incident and was told she had miscarried, the lawsuit claims.

Turner stated that she felt chilled to hear, at some point later, that the officer who tased her had numerous allegations against him for violence.

“You’re a police officer [meant] to protect and serve people, you have a record longer than the people you are arresting,” Turner said. “I’m scared for my life because I feel like you can do anything to me and they’re going to believe you over me.”

John Holden, director of public affairs for Chicago’s law department, said that he could not comment on the lawsuit filed by Turner and Green because the city had not yet been served with it.

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