Cops taser 8-months pregnant black woman over parking dispute

Jonathan Benson
Natural News
June 9, 2012

(NaturalNews) The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is currently investigating a complaint filed against several of its officers who allegedly tasered an eight-months pregnant woman in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood over a parking dispute. Thirty-year-old Tiffany Rent says she endured much pain as a result of the police assault, and that it was entirely unnecessary based on the circumstances.

CBS 2 News in Chicago reports that Tiffany had temporarily parked in a handicapped parking space at a local Walgreens in order to calm down her young daughter, when CPD officers pulled up and surrounded her vehicle. According to Tiffany, the officers prevented her from leaving, and proceeded to write her a $200 ticket, which she ripped up and threw on the ground in protest.

According to Tiffany’s side of the story, she tried to explain to CPD officers why she had pulled in the handicapped spot, and that she was quickly going to leave. But they ignored her petition and proceeded to write her a ticket anyway, which is about the time the situation got ugly. When all was said and done, CPD officers had tasered Tiffany through the window of her car, and later claimed they had no idea she was pregnant.

“She pulled up in a handicapped space. The police came behind her, and she said they blocked her in. She asked them, were they writing her a ticket, and they told her yes,” said Sharita Rent, Tiffany’s sister. “She tried to explain to them what happened, as far as her little getting out of the car, and her trying to calm her down and console her, and the guy gave her a ticket for $200. She ripped the ticket up, tore it in half, and threw it on the ground.”

In a public statement, CPD Superintendent Garry McCarthy told a different story that included Tiffany throwing the shredded ticket in the officers’ faces and cursing at them. McCarthy claims the officers tased Tiffany because she tried to pull away against their orders, but says an investigation is currently underway to determine whether or not the use of a taser was justified.

“They were laughing. They said, ‘I know she’s pregnant.’ Then one of the other officers said I deserve it,” explained Tiffany to reporters about how the CPD officers treated her. Tiffany and her boyfriend, who was in her vehicle at the time, are both being charged with resisting arrest and simple assault. “Another officer said, “Go get Jesse Jackson,’ They were all laughing, like it was so funny.”

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