Airport tragedy

[Rapunzel]

Re: Airport tragedy

So, this does, indeed, beg the question: Why was she flying unescorted - especially if her own husband felt she was suicidal???

Re: Airport tragedy

So, this does, indeed, beg the question: Why was she flying unescorted - especially if her own husband felt she was suicidal???

True. There were many failings along the way, it seems. Why not a family friend? It is just terribly sad that she doesn't have the chance to change herself and be there for her kids. THat just breaks my heart.

[diggitydot]

Re: Airport tragedy

There was an update on this case in the news. The husband's calls began about an hour after her death.

Like many others have already posted, I also question why her family didn't make sure someone went with her if she was so unstable that they were that concerned about her safety and well-being?

As for the restraint issue, I'm sorry, but I see a whole world of difference between restraining someone and handcuffing them. People are handcuffed all the time in jails and prisons, and not always with direct supervision. How many of them have strangled themselves with their shackles? Likely, very few. And how many law officers would think someone would try to kill themselves that way without the benefit of previous knowledge of their suicidal tendencies?

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Airport tragedy

ITA with Ladybug. People are handcuffed all the time. They are not shackled all the time. Police/security are not "normal" people in the sense that they know better and don't have the luxury of giving people the benefit of the doubt. Per their job they should have had hours of training that would have set off a red flag for them that this particular person needed monitoring. Even detained criminals are required to be supervised and monitored and when crap goes down there is usually always an investigation to make sure no one is at fault. Hence it is the detainers responsibilty to ensure the safety, to the best of their ability, of the detainee. They did not do their best.

I believe there is no question that she never should have been traveling alone, that is something that her family is going to have to deal with. They could have enlisted a family friend (anyone) to travel with her, if the husband needed to stay with the children. I personally would have had a friend watch the kids for a day or two and escorted my spouse. However, when they detained her, she became their responsibilty. I blame her family for her being detained but I think her death could have been prevented if she was supervised once she was detained.

Re: Airport tragedy

If she needs to be restrained (inside a holding cell!) then she's a threat to someone and requires monitoring.

Again, didn't think about it that way but it totally makes sense.

I'm sure her family will be regretting her traveling alone for the rest of their lives. And it does make sense that someone should have escorted her because of withdrawal issues, risk of drinking, her mental state, etc. But I also have to think about how frayed their family probably was at this point. I'm guessing they weren't a well-functioning group.

[Meenah]

Re: Airport tragedy

ITA with Ladybug. Anyone who has the authority to restrain must be properly trained in the safe use of restraints. Maybe it is our exposure to restraints in the hospital, but there is a safety protocol when restraints are used.

And how many law officers would think someone would try to kill themselves that way without the benefit of previous knowledge of their suicidal tendencies?

I didn't think she was trying to kill herself, but trying to escape from the shackles. I guess it depends on how you read it. Either way a very tragic ending. I feel so terrible for her children.

Re: Airport tragedy

But I also have to think about how frayed their family probably was at this point. I'm guessing they weren't a well-functioning group.

ITA. I don't believe this is a black and white issue as far as the family is concerned. I agree it would have probably changed the outcome if someone could have traveled with her, but who's to say that the husband and wife weren't separated? She was an alcoholic, after all. She could have been estranged from the whole family for all we know. Would the husband still be responsible for her?

Now for the security company that restrained her...they obviously weren't trained on how to handle this situation. Nor did they have a scrap of common sense among them. Another instance of being at the mercy of stupid people...

Re: Airport tragedy

As for the restraint issue, I'm sorry, but I see a whole world of difference between restraining someone and handcuffing them. People are handcuffed all the time in jails and prisons, and not always with direct supervision. How many of them have strangled themselves with their shackles? Likely, very few. And how many law officers would think someone would try to kill themselves that way without the benefit of previous knowledge of their suicidal tendencies?

From what I've read, she was handcuffed and then attached to a bench with a chain (through the handcuffs?). I think she was trying to wriggle out of that and basically choked herself to death with the chain.

I think the police were negligent in the way they restrained her (which is not the opinion I came into this with, but between Ladybug and Davita's posts, I have to agree with them). I also agree that she should not have been alone. But while her being alone allowed her to get drunk and beligerent and into the hands of law enforcement -- law enforcement created the hap-hazard restraint system that allowed her to choke herself.

[Rapunzel]

Re: Airport tragedy

I'm also confused about the shackles. I thought shackles were for moving prisoners/persons in custody and were removed once they were "secured" (ie in a cell)?

Ladybug makes very good points about the arresting officers' actions not being consistant with their reasons for those actions.

All in all it is a series of unfortunate events with multiple blame to go around. So sad. Hopefully many will learn valuable lessons from this woman's death and a future incident can be prevented.

[Meenah]

Re: Airport tragedy

Tabula Rasa wrote:

All in all it is a series of unfortunate events with multiple blame to go around. So sad. Hopefully many will learn valuable lessons from this woman's death and a future incident can be prevented.

ITA.

[diggitydot]

Re: Airport tragedy

restraint: a device that restricts movement <a restraint for children riding in cars>

A restraint's a restraint's a restraint. There aren't sorta or mostly restraints.

Holding cell implies four walls. Why be restrained in a holding cell with four walls? Convenience would be my first guess. You don't want to listen to an agitated woman pound on the door. How often are people left shackled and cuffed inside a cell, alone? I thought restraints were used outside of a cell to ensure other's safety.

When I think of someone being restrained, I usually think of a straight jacket, someone strapped to a gurney, or shot full of meds. Handcuffs and shackles (the chain holding them to the floor that is also sometimes used to connect leg irons together) are both items very commonly used in holding cells, which is where she was. They use the shackles attached to the floor to prevent people from moving around too much. Usually because the room is built to hold several people and they never know when more will be joining those already there. Having people randomly milling around in a holding cell is a recipe for disaster. It's much more efficient, and usually standard operating procedures, to put everyone in the room on shackles attached to the floor when they enter the room so they don't have to try to do it later when someone else arrives.

Yes, it's an unfortunate situation. But one that could have been totally avoided had the woman been under control or been with someone who could have explained the situation to authorities or maybe even could have prevented her from getting drunk and missing the flight in the first place.

[lilponygirl]

Re: Airport tragedy

What came first, the chicken or the egg? This sounds like a trivial fight dh and I once had. After dh had left the lid off of a full bottle, I came along and knocked it over, ruining several important documents. We went around and around because he was convinced it was my fault for knocking it over, but I was convinced he was wrong because even if I had knocked it over, nothing would have gotten ruined if he had put the lid on.

So how this applies to this tragic story, I'm not sure. I guess its that she shouldn't even have been in the situation in the first place. Does that dismiss the possible negligence of the officers? No, but that's why the investigation is being done. And like so many other lessons in life, we continue to learn from ours (and other's) mistakes.

Re: Airport tragedy

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate here with a question:

Is there any confirmation that a drug/alcohol facility was expecting her? Her death was truly horrible, I'm not making light of that. And I know nothing about restraining legalities. But would this story have made headlines if she was just another drug addict on her way to hook up with some friends?

Feel free to throw darts, but something seems fishy to me. :|

We had a neighbor who got busted for driving without a license. Her excuse to the officer who pulled her over? She was driving to the DMV. She didn't get away with it of course, but then again she didn't die, either.

The whole story makes me sad and angry.

[diggitydot]

Re: Airport tragedy

Is there any confirmation that a drug/alcohol facility was expecting her?

I haven't heard any confirmations from the facility (I don't think they can comment on anything, anyway), but her family has confirmed that is why she was on her way to Tucson.

Re: Airport tragedy

I wonder what a rehab place recommends in regards to an escort or medical concerns. I'm sure they won't say anything about this situation.