Denise Stewart, a 48-year-old Brooklyn woman was dragged by NYPD from her apartment and arrested in the late hours of July 13, New York Daily News reported. The grandmother had just taken a shower and was only wearing a towel and pair of underpants when NYPD pounded on her door.
The NYPD officers were responding to a domestic violence 911-call made from the Brownsville apartment building. However, according to the Daily News, they did not know the apartment number. After hearing shouts from Stewart's apartment they banged on the door at 11:45 PM. According to the Daily News, Stewart told the police they had the wrong apartment and attempted to close the door. Denise Stewart was then dragged by the NYPD cops into the hallway.
Neighbors captured part of the arrest on video, which shows male officers struggling to subdue the woman, and Stewart calling for her oxygen.
"For approximately two minutes and 20 seconds, Stewart was bare-breasted in the hallway as additional police officers tramped up the stairs and through the hallway, glancing at her as they passed by," the Daily News reported. Eventually a female officer covered her with a towel.
Shouts of “Oxygen, get my oxygen” can be heard int he video.
"Ok, ok," a police officer says, and leaves the frame.
"Her asthma! Her asthma! Her asthma,” shouted bystanders.
Stewart, who has asthma, fainted during the arrest, according to the Daily News.
The NYPD arrested Denise Stewart and charged her with assaulting a police officer -- she bit an officer's finger during the scuffle. Denise Stewart's 20-year-old daughter Diamond Stewart was arrested and charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child, resisting arrest and criminal possession of a weapon. Stewarts's 24-year-old son Kirkland Stewart was charged with resisting arrest.
Stewart's 12-year-old daughter was also taken into custody. According to the police, the 12-year-old had injuries on her face and claimed that her mother and sister hit her with a belt. The 12-year-old daughter later resisted arrest, and allegedly kicked out a police van window, cutting an officer's chin. She was charged with criminal mischief, criminal possession of a weapon and assaulting a police officer.
Denise Stewart's lawyer, Amy Rameau, was told by a Legal Aid lawyer that the original 911 call came from a different apartment at the Kings Highway address. The NYPD allegedly arrived at Stewart's apartment by mistake.
“They manhandled [Stewart] and behaved in a deplorable manner,” Rameau said. “She feels completely mortified. This is about human dignity.”
Rameau also explained that the Administration for Children’s Services investigated and found no evidence of neglect.
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