Woman Shot In Face With Rubber Bullet By Fort Lauderdale PD To Speak Before Congress
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A woman who Fort Lauderdale police shot in the face with a rubber bullet will speak in front of Congress.
LaToya Ratlieff was at a protest in downtown Fort Lauderdale a month ago.
In a video posted by CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald, the 34-year-old was hit by a rubber bullet, which fractured her skull.
On Monday, Ratlieff will speak about the incident to the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
When CBS4 spoke with Ratlieff about the incident, she made clear what she wants to happen.
"I want the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to be held accountable," she said. "I think it's important that there are some reforms that are put in place. So something like this can never happen again."
Ratlieff will speak at a briefing that will address the treatment of protesters and journalists during those recent demonstrations.
South Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz sits on that subcommittee.
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione said Ratlieff is not cooperating with their internal investigation.
Maglione released a statement, which read, in part:
"To date, Ms. Ratlieff has given numerous media interviews and made many public statements, but has yet to meet with us to give us a formal statement of facts as she sees them. Our officers reached out to her numerous times after the incident."