October 2, 2007
Family Suspects Carol Anne Gotbaum Was Manhandled
The family of Carol Ann Gotbaum wants answers about the 45-year-old Manhattan resident's death while in police custody at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport last Friday. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who was Gotbaum's stepmother-in-law, said, "We are not jumping to any conclusions, but the circumstances surrounding Carol's death appear to be unusual enough to raise serious questions and warrant a thorough investigation."
The mother of three was scheduled for a connection to Tucson, where she was to check herself into alcohol rehabilitation. When she arrived at the gate, the flight was closed - Gotbaum had gone to lunch and missed the boarding cut-off time, which is 15-minutes before the flight. She was booked onto another flight, but representatives of the airline (Mesa Airways which works with US Air) said that Gotbaum was very upset and that they were unable to calm her down, so they called security. When police approached her, she was heard saying, "I'm not a terrorist! I'm a sick mom! I need help!" and was seen punching and kicking at the officers. She was then taken to a police holding cell at the airport and died about thirty minutes later, seemingly strangling herself with her handcuffs. From the Daily News:
Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said Gotbaum was left unsupervised only between five and 10 minutes. He described the shackles as a 16-inch long chain, which when attached to handcuffs, is about 24 inches long.That explanation did not float with the lawyer hired by the Gotbaum family; Michael Manning told the Post, "Are you kidding me? You really think it happened this way?" The lawyer added, "This is both shocking and disturbing... You don't do this with a woman as slight of build as her and who was emotionally distraught. You don't put someone in a choke hold, you don't handcuff them, you don't shackle her to a bench, and you sure don't leave them alone.""We still do not know how Ms. Gotbaum was able to manipulate the handcuffs to the position she was in. But when she was found, her handcuffs were in front and the shackle was still attached to her handcuffs. The chain was not wrapped around her neck. It was pulled against the front of her neck area," Hill said.
The Post also reports that Gotbaum was "emotionally volatile" for years. A police report from November 2006 noted cops responded to a 44-year-old woman who tried to overdose on pills in their West 95th Street home and that recently Gotbaum "tried to kill herself in an unknown manner."
Gotbaum's autopsy was postponed until today, because the family requested an independent pathologist to be present. Sources told the Daily News the preliminary cause is "positional asphyxiation." The Phoenix police are also reviewing surveillance tapes from the concourse.
And Slate's Explainer looks at whether it's possible to strangle yourself with a pair of handcuffs (apparently it is).
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-The lawyer added, "This is both shocking and disturbing... You don't do this with a woman as slight of build as her and who was emotionally distraught. You don't put someone in a choke hold, you don't handcuff them, you don't shackle her to a bench, and you sure don't leave them alone."-
Okay, so what exactly are the cops supposed to do when they encounter someone behaving like a rabid beast in an enclosed space? Not arrest the person if it's a skinny woman screaming about how she's just a poor, sick mom? Only arrest males over 5'10 and 150 pounds?
I'm sorry, but I don't understand the family's logic at all. The woman was arrested for disturbing the peace, and it sounds to me like she was treated just like anyone else who gets arrested for something like that and tries to run away/beat up the arresting officers. Actually, it sounds like she was treated much better than your average person.
Of course they do. And OJs kids suspected he was innocent. Now, I'm not saying she wasn't manhandled (probably was), but is the family's long-distance suspicion of brutality really meaningful?
The thing I'm curious about is why she was traveling alone. Since checking into rehab is such a big step, I would think a friend or family member might want to accompany the person.
My God! First Anne Frank, now this!
"Gone to lunch" = 5 margaritas at Taberna del Tequila in Terminal 3.
Yeah, because cops should give small criminals different treatment. Fuck the lawyers. Cops will do what it takes to subdue you. they don't want their eye poked out or a bite on the arm. If you're being arrested in the US, just go with the flow and let the lawyers deal with it later. No point in being a hero.
And Jen Chung hits the $64,000 question. Travelling alone to rehab? Nice family and friends she has.
I agree, Jen raises a great question.
But the Phoenix police's story still stinks. Strangled herself with her handcuffs? Um, yeah, right after we put her in a chokehold to shut her up.
And see Michael Daly's column in today's Daily News for more info. He asked some NYPD guys how they would have handled this. Bottom line? Not like these guys did.
There's obviously a lot of blame to go around here, but when push comes to shove, when you take someone into custody, you are responsible for them. And the Phoenix police dropped the ball.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I present the winner of the 2007 Darwin Award.
cracker.
West 95th? If I lived there I'd be thankful for death.
I feel bad for her kids. I also feel bad for the police who had and have to deal with this. She was clearly a sick woman. I wouldn't be surprised if she did it to herself.
Come on, being a drunk is not a sickness. She is a drunk mom, not a sick mom.
Tim N., you're sinking to a new low. Using the NYPD as a model of restraint and proper behavior? To borrow from you, um, yeah, right.
See the above link for how it is possible to stangle oneself with handcuffs.
I mean "sick" like "addict/alcoholic." But I do believe she's responsible for her actions. I'm just saddened by the consequences.
I am very sorry for her, life is not easy, I wish some one could help her, I know the in the USA airline industry need help but Airline Industry getting out of hand and Government do not care for the Passenger rights all the CEO’s of the Airline are like a NY Mafia AND no one can touch them they have the power,
I am very sorry again and peace to her family,
I am very sorry for her, life is not easy, I wish some one could help her, I know the in the USA airline industry need help but Airline Industry getting out of hand and Government do not care for the Passenger rights all the CEO’s of the Airline are like a NY Mafia AND no one can touch them they have the power,
I am very sorry again and peace to her family,
Traveling to rehab is unfortunate. It sounds like this entire scenario wasn't handled properly. I feel for the kids the most. I'm sure this is the ultimate in a long sad road that they have gone through before she decided to go to rehab.
Hello. First She is White. Second she is a woman. Third SHe's related to a very public political person. The people who did this to her should rot in prison.
Here's the take-away from thses posts: Authoritarian creeps support death penalty for emotional outbursts.
I hope what I'm seeing is the work of one sad anti-semitic creep and not a general indicator of the sort of person who visits Gothamist. Most of the sentiments expressed on this subject are grotesque in the extreme.
A frail woman with 3 children died under suspicious circumstances in police custody and people think it's good and fine and that's just what should happen?
If that's where we are something has gone terribly wrong in the US of A.
We do not know what happened. Regardless of race and gender she breached security. She may very well have been sick, but to freak out and scream, rant and rave and cause a panic, she by no means had any right to do this. In fact her own actions may have resulted in a hear attack or stroke.
She, I'm sure, broke many laws and in the process was resisting. She was arrested and placed in a holding cell. I'm sure there's plenty of video surveillance that covered her arrest and incarceration. Only time will tell.
While I'm sorry to hear about her untimely death, this is just another story about self accountability.
To answer #19- Yes, most Gothamist readers really are authoritarian creeps who support death penalty for emotional outbursts. I wish I could say it was just the guests who are trolls, but that would be inaccurate.
BYE BYE DRUNK GRINGO BITCH!!!!!!
"A frail woman with 3 children died under suspicious circumstances in police custody and people think it's good and fine and that's just what should happen?"
Okay, where exactly have you read anyone saying Carol Anne Gotbaum's death is a good thing? Unless you're talking about the fake rantings of an internet troll, I would be surprised.
However, coming to the likely conclusion that Carol Anne Gotbaum was not murdered, but rather accidentally killed herself, does not make one an "authoritarian creep."
Frankly, I think your opinion is the creepy one. You seem to be under the impression that skinny women (especially MOTHERS, because Lord knows every single one woman who ever gave birth is akin to the Virgin Mary) deserves far better treatment than any healthy man for committing the same exact crime.
And, yes: what Carol Anne Gotbaum did WAS a crime, and she was arrested for it. I certainly don't defend police in all situations, but to suggest that they killed Ms. Gotbaum is ridiculous.
Okay, how do the people carrying on about authoritarian creeps believe that this woman really died? Do you think that of all the crazy people they deal with every day, this woman drove someone so mad that they felt the need to sneak into her holding cell and choke her to death?
If so, wow. If not, stop ranting about "the death penalty" for supposed emotional outbursts.
No sorry #24, I won't stop pointing out what is true. The majority of people psoting here think what happened to Carol Anne Gotbaum is no biggy. I think that's nauseating and I think it means there's a level of approval for this travesty of law enforcement that indicates an authoritarian mindset which I hate. It's the mentality of Putin or W Bush supporters. It's pathological and does not bode well for democracy or individual rights.
#13... I actually see your point. But it should show you what the Phoenix police are doing if they are making our Finest look good by comparison (and, truth be told, I think they do... at least they can cover their tracks better than this).
The NYPD guys said not only would they never have left a distressed person alone, video or not, but they would have called the paramedics immediately. I'm sure she was doing something wrong. I'm also getting more and more sure she is not to blame for her death.
Phoenix, AZ = conservative shithole.
they make Texas look good.
#25, how do you think the police killed Carol Anne Gotbaum?
No one is asking you to stop pointing out the truth, but you're not actually giving up any theories of what you think actually happened to her, either.
Who killed her and how?
she choked on her own vomit.
it happens all the time with drunks.
Its funny that the family sent her to rehab alone.
I think the truth is that she was scheduled to go to Canyon Ranch in Tucson and probably would have missed a scheduled massage and didn't want to pay for a rescheduling. There are no alcohol rehab centers in Tucson, only the posh Canyon Ranch.
http://www.canyonranch.com/resorts/tucson-home.aspx
They "suspect" she was manhandled? Perhaps she was gang raped also? I hope the forensics team looks into this...no pun intended.
goodbye drunk bitch
lesson learned...yoga class does not make you able to escape handcuff
#29 You hit it on the nail...!
BYE BYE DRUNK GRINGO BITCH!!!!!!
haha Isn't Gothamist great? It serves as a forum for racists of every creed, race and religion!
These anti-semite comments smell like the comments Reality Czech makes when the topic is about blacks or hispanics.
I'm sure Reality Czech is afraid to offend his boss the mailroom manager, who happens to be Jewish, so RC posts his comments anonymously.
THIS IS A GUEST COMMENT WITH NO DEROGATORY REFERENCE TO SOMEONE BEING WHITE OR JEWISH...
BYE BYE STUPID DUMBASS DRUNK BITCH!!!
GOOD BYE STOOPID DRUNK PERSON WHO THREW A HISSY FIT IN AN AIRPORT!
BETSY YOU MUST BE PROUD!
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!
The astroturfing in here is really getting out of control. Gothamist, you would do well to see how the Nielson Haydens over at Making Light deal with this.
And given the apparently inability of the authorities in this situation to obtain medical treatment for someone who was obviously not in a right state, I think I'll pass on flying through Arizona any time soon. God only knows what they'd do if I had a diabetic episode -- probably throw me in the drunk tank.
Why is it certain individuals here want to believe that there is only ONE anti-semitic poster? As if...
I'm a rancher in New Mexico, so don't give me any lip about being pro-criminal.
This is a 105 lb woman, mother of 4.
Choke hold and she died.
She was murdered, plain and simple.
The rest is coverup.
Hope y'all enjoyed the flight.
I am from Arizona and I think she sets a bad example of how to act in public. Tantrums are not cute when you are pushing 50. The Bible says you get what you sow. She obviously had it coming. Karma is a killer.
Sounds like an unstable nut. What else were the cops supposed to do, sit her down and talk about her feelings? They're cops not Psychiatrists, nutty people who are flipping out get cuffed, end of story.
What race were the officers? Were they black or latino? It doesn't take much to figure out what they did to this attractive white woman. Will someone please publish pictures of the men involved?
After reading all of this - does the truth matter to any of you, with your rants and theories anyhow? No one wants someone to die in this way, but I really do doubt that she was strangled - I mean she was a pain but hardly a "rough" arrest for all the talk of her being "thrown to the floor" etc...why would anyone take the time to even put her in a choke hold? Frankly, I think she choked on her vomit.
And if you throw a drunken rant in an airport and resist arrest - of course you will be cuffed and arrested, no matter what color you are or how much you weigh. Courtney Love had pretty much the same treatment, and you can't tell me no one wants to strangle her.
It's very sad this happened, but the family judging from such a distance when they basically dumped their old problem child on everyone else takes the cake.
Arizona guest...what a good nazi christian you must be.
How about 'judge not lest ye be judged' or 'love thy neighbor'?
What exactly did she 'have coming' besides treatment at an alcoholic rehab center? You astound me with your petty ignorant vindictiveness.
From all the comments I read from arizonans, I'm shocked at the degree of hatred you have been harboring towards New Yorkers. I'm surprised that on September 11, 2001 you didn't all jump for joy and say 'yippee, 2800 self-entitled New Yorkers out of the way'
Many of us have been reading comments like yours, and made mental notes to avoid Arizona at all costs, the way people of intelligence avoided Mississippi during the 1950s...
Police brutality at airports is out of control. Especially when the police beat up/kill young women and mothers. This is similar to the police beating of the young woman at Reagan National Airport in DC except she suffered brain damage and is still alive. My thoughts and prayers go out to Carol Ann Gotbaum's family. http://youtube.com/watch?v=XPNmxZwhMag