Loud c-phone call leads to pregnant woman's arrest
Transit police forced her to lie on stomach, woman says
Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Posted: 4:46 PM EDT (2046 GMT)
WHEATON, Maryland (AP) -- A pregnant woman said she was handcuffed by transit police and forced to lie on her stomach during an arrest that began with her talking too loudly on her cell phone.
Sakinah Aaron, 23, said she feared her unborn baby would be harmed when the officer forced her to the ground and put his knee in her back at a bus stop earlier this month. A doctor later said her 5-month-old fetus was not harmed.
"I'm thinking between the ground and his knee, my water is going to break and I'm going to have a miscarriage or something," she said of the September 9 incident.
Deputy Chief Timothy Gronau said Monday that Officer George Saoutis followed police procedure after Aaron refused to stop cursing loudly during a cell phone conversation and became abusive and uncooperative.
Aaron said the officer approached her as she walked to catch a bus, telling her to keep her voice down. She twice tried to break away, but he caught her arm, then placed her face down, handcuffed her, and charged her with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Aaron was scheduled to appear in court on October 21.
Transit police forced her to lie on stomach, woman says
Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Posted: 4:46 PM EDT (2046 GMT)
WHEATON, Maryland (AP) -- A pregnant woman said she was handcuffed by transit police and forced to lie on her stomach during an arrest that began with her talking too loudly on her cell phone.
Sakinah Aaron, 23, said she feared her unborn baby would be harmed when the officer forced her to the ground and put his knee in her back at a bus stop earlier this month. A doctor later said her 5-month-old fetus was not harmed.
"I'm thinking between the ground and his knee, my water is going to break and I'm going to have a miscarriage or something," she said of the September 9 incident.
Deputy Chief Timothy Gronau said Monday that Officer George Saoutis followed police procedure after Aaron refused to stop cursing loudly during a cell phone conversation and became abusive and uncooperative.
Aaron said the officer approached her as she walked to catch a bus, telling her to keep her voice down. She twice tried to break away, but he caught her arm, then placed her face down, handcuffed her, and charged her with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Aaron was scheduled to appear in court on October 21.
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