Gotbaum family sues Phoenix for airport death of drunk, drugged up mom on way to rehab

Law • May 2008 • Views: 436

The family of a New York woman who died in police custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city.

The suit filed Thursday claims that Phoenix police officers caused or contributed to Carol Anne Gotbaum’s death on Sept. 28.

Police arrested Gotbaum for disorderly conduct after she was denied a seat on a flight to Tucson. She was later found dead in an airport holding cell.

The family filed an $8 million claim against the city in March, blaming Phoenix police for using excessive force and ignoring policies during her arrest.

Phoenix rejected the claim, saying officers did nothing wrong.

Gotbaum was in Phoenix on a layover as she traveled to an alcohol rehabilitation program.

Recent Pages by Kirly:
Rules of Engagement for Ameerica's Victims Happy Birthday! worker arrested and ordered to undergo psycho testing! sabotage on the chinook assembly line? OMG! What a moron! Must be a follower of "Rev Wright"

Kirly May 8, 2008 3:00:07pm

City of Phoenix Response is here.

Carol Was Traveling Alone and Unescorted
The thrust of the Gotbaum family claim is that the City of Phoenix police officers should have been more supportive than Carol’s own husband, more knowledgeable than her own family, and should somehow have known that she suffered from a private condition that she deliberately hid from the public.
As the Gotbaums’ attorney, you have reportedly suggested that the police officers should have recognized that Carol was physically or mentally ill.1 But the Gotbaum family has publicly admitted, not only that Carol hid her medical and mental condition, but that the officers responded to Carol exactly the way her husband knew they would respond because they did not have critical information known only to the Gotbaum family.
It is undisputed that at the time of her arrest Carol was not self-destructive. Angry because she missed her flight? Obviously. Intoxicated at a 0.24% BAC? Probably. But the only ones who knew that Carol was depressed, suicidal, and alcohol-abusive were members of her own family. This incontrovertible fact comes to us, not from lawyers, advocates, or hired public relations specialists, but for doing exactly what he knew they would do without the missing information.
Consider if you would, Noah’s calls to the airlines after his wife had already passed away. In his own words, Noah Gotbaum warns that his wife is sick and that without the critical information he has, the officers will think they are dealing with “some lout who’s just drank too much on an airplane.” Summarized below is what Noah did not communicate to aviation, airline, or law enforcement personnel until well after his wife passed away at 3:29 P.M.

To US Airways:
16:13
we have a pretty serious situation … the last I heard she was screaming, crying, and she is really in a very, very sad mental state … she’s there by herself, in the airport … and I don’t think anyone really understands what kind of condition she’s in.
16:50
do you understand how serious the situation is … you know, this is very, she is very “at risk” Okay? people at the airport and U.S. Airways don’t understand that … if she didn’t [get the flight] then they’re gonna have to do something because she cannot be sitting there at the airport on her own …

To City of Phoenix:
16:39:17
well, my wife is at the airport and she is in a very, very fragile mental state. … the last thing I heard she was screaming over the telephone
16:41:02
this is an emergency … she got bumped off a flight to Tucson and then she just, from what it sounds like she was in the middle of a nervous breakdown … she’s on her way to Tucson to go to a clinic there
17:29:13
[my wife’s] in a really, really sensitive medical state and [the police] don’t know that … and they don’t know the background … this is a dangerous situation we’re in right now … she is in a medical emergency … I need to discuss that with [the police] because they’re playing with dual fires right now … it’s important that [the police] call me because they’re not dealing with … just a normal situation … this is someone who’s, who is suicidal … you’re dealing with a medical emergency … [the police] don’t know that and they don’t understand the background … it could make matters much worse …
18:01:57
I’m trying to find out about my wife … she’s been pulled in by the police
18:03:00 she was on her way to rehabilitation in Tucson … the police don’t really understand what they’re dealing with right now; she is suicidal …

NY Nana May 8, 2008 4:11:33pm

Kirly, this is a tragedy, but IIRC, her husband seemed to be in the process of divorcing her. They allowed her, in the condition she was in, to travel unescorted.

Betsy Gotbaum, her mother in law, is the public advocate for NYC. IMHO, they are suing to alleviate the guilt they felt, if they indeed felt any, for letting a known alcoholic, who was very drunk in the airport, travel alone. I could not do that to anyone. Autopsy results…how can they live with themselves? Don’t they care what this ridiculous trial will do to her little kids?

Kirly May 9, 2008 10:25:28am

re: #2 NY Nana

yes indeed. the response which i posted a link to in #1 shows that her husband had all the knowledge needed to know that she was in a precarious state but let her get on the aircraft alone. and, didn’t share any of it until at least an hour after her last call to him. her family (the adults) are at fault for this. the phoenix police did nothing wrong.

Auto

This page has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!