Broward County, FL — A deputy was recently exonerated for brutally beating a woman who was jailed for being drunk in public. However, a video has surfaced casting serious doubt on the judge’s decision.
As we previously reported, Audra West is a hairdresser from Texas who was on vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida when she was arrested and assaulted by police. West had a few too many drinks and was arrested for disorderly conduct. During her stay in the Broward Sheriff’s Jail in Pompano Beach, she was brutally beaten.
West was held in jail for over ten hours before the assault, and during her incarceration, she asked one of the deputies on staff if she could have a tampon. Deputy Kristin Connelly laughed at her and told her no. Frustrated, West cursed under her breath at Connelly, so Connelly stood up, grabbed a pair of rubber gloves and began walking toward her future victim.
As she walked over to assault West, Connelly’s coworker attempts to calm her down, but Connelly was apparently out for blood and went around him.
She grabbed West by her hair, entirely unprovoked and began hitting her, and throwing her to the ground. West was then pulled into another room, off camera, and assaulted by multiple guards who joined in on the attack.
Connelly did not speak of the incident until West filed a formal complaint, at which point Connelly claimed that she was attacked by West. However, since it was obvious from the video footage that West did not physically provoke her in any way, the state refused to press charges against West for the alleged assault on a police officer.
“I was on the floor on my stomach and (Connelly) punched me on this side of the face. And I was being kicked and stepped on from behind, and she was punching me in the face. She punched me in the eye several times,” West said.
“I went into jail with no bruises and I came out covered in bruises, I’ve got bruises all over my body. My face was swollen. My eye was basically swollen shut. I had bruises and cuts all over me,” West said.
Sadly, Connelly and the other attackers were exonerated after an internal investigation.
“The Professional Standards Committee (PSC), which is made up of a mix of BSO employees and private citizens, reviewed the video and entire IA file and recommended no discipline for all three employees. The PSC determined the actions taken were within the policy,” Sheriff Scott Israel said in a statement.
John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.
