WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Was it a justified use of force by a West Palm Beach police officer, or an unnecessary takedown?
The driver who caused a multi-car crash in the parking lot of Walmart, located at 4225 45th Street in West Palm Beach, is now planning to sue the city for how a police officer treated her after the wreck.
Police body camera video shows a group of people surrounding 46-year-old Jill Blau’s car after she crashed into several vehicles in the parking lot on May 5.
🔽 WATCH POLICE BODY CAMERA VIDEO 🔽
Blau's attorney was alarmed by two videos posted on Facebook by a person at the scene of the wreck. Valentin Rodriguez, who is representing Blau, said her client suffered a seizure and following the crash, one video shows her turning the steering wheel as if she’s trying to leave.
"In the first video, we see her standing there in fear of her life, locking her door, because a mob has come around her car and start yelling at her and saying things to her," said Rodriguez.
Walmart surveillance video provided by police shows Blau pull into a parking spot, but then back up and hit a car. Some time goes by before she swerves around the car and accelerates forward, hitting a minivan which then strikes two cars from the impact.
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"This could have been a tragedy and fortunately she didn’t hurt anyone. But this is what happens when you have a seizure," said Rodriguez, who added Blau suffered from a seizure a few weeks prior to this incident.
Rodriguez said he was alarmed by a second video posted to social media which shows what the crowd around Blau’s car does when West Palm Beach Police Lt. Arthur Bullard arrives.
You can hear the person recording the video tell the officer, "Don’t treat her comfortably now. Treat her like you would anybody else."
"He’s [Lt. Bullard] being egged on by the people around him and that’s a shame," said Rodriguez.
The body camera video shows Lt. Bullard walk up to Blau’s car. As she opens the door, he pulls it open and asks her how she's doing and if she's okay, followed by commanding her to step out.
Blau appears confused and asks, "What?" Lt. Bullard tells her to step out repeatedly and then pulls her out of the car, struggling to detain her, and then takes her down to the ground.
West Palm Beach police said Lt. Bullard was not influenced by the people surrounding him. Instead, he was concerned for their safety.
"You’re looking at other pedestrians in that video that are surrounding that car, and if she puts that car intro drive once more, she’s already proven that she can hit three or four cars," said Sgt. David Lefont, Public Information Officer for the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Sgt. Lefont said Lt. Bullard reacted correctly if you look at the body camera video closely.
"When you watch the video closely, you can see that the right hand vanishes," said Sgt. Lefont, who claimed at this point the driver could be reaching for the gear shifter to continue moving the car, or be reaching for a weapon.
Blau’s attorney said his client should not have been pulled out of the car the way she was following the crash. Rodriguez said Blau is still in rehabilitation for the injuries she sustained, not from the crash, but from the takedown. Rodriguez said Blau’s knee cap and T3 vertebrae were fractured from the incident with the officer.
Rodriguez added they've sent the city a letter of intent to sue for "negligence, battery (excessive force), false arrest, and malicious prosecution."
🔽 READ NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE 🔽
The crash report listed Blau’s condition at the time of the accident as "Seizure, Epilepsy, Blackout." The report also said there was no suspicion of drug or alcohol use.
Blau was cited for leaving the scene of the crash and reckless driving, and she was issued a Notice To Appear Arrest for resisting the officer without violence
No complaints have been filed against Lt. Bullard for this incident.
