Woman Tased, Arrested By Now-Fired FWPD Officer Speaks Out
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The woman at the center of a controversial arrest caught on camera is speaking only to CBS 11 News after Fort Worth police Chief Joel Fitzgerald announced that the senior officer involved in the incident has been fired.
The woman, who only wants to be identified by her first name -- Dorshay -- says she called 911 back in August asking for help with a domestic disturbance involving her boyfriend. While on the phone with the dispatcher she was heard threatening to stab the man if he kicked in her door. Ultimately, the call ended with officers arriving, using a stun gun on her and placing her under arrest.
Veteran Fort Worth police Sergeant Kenneth Pierce was fired over the confrontation that was captured by another officer's body camera. The department released the video Monday evening and CBS 11 showed the footage to Dorshay for the first time. She says the incident has left her wary of police. "I don't trust the police department. I don't trust 911. I don't trust anything."
When Sergeant Pierce and a rookie police officer arrived Dorshay did have a knife but says she explained that she had it for self-defense and willingly handed it over when asked. Dorshay said she protested when she was then asked for identification and told the officers that she felt like she was the one being treated like a suspect.
It was at that point that Sergeant Pierce attempted to handcuff her. Saying she "didn't know what else to do" Dorshay says she resisted and Pierce then ordered the rookie police officer to use a stun gun.
"My child was in the house and if I go to jail who's going to look after her," she said. "At that moment and time I just thought 'I'm gonna fight them back, because I called y'all. How y'all gonna take me to jail?' It [sic] don't make sense… just defense mode, I was thinking about my child."
A statement from the department agreed that Dorshay was producing her ID and went on to say that Pierce became "impatient, initiated an unnecessary physical confrontation, and then ordered use of the Taser.
Dorshay was initially charged with Aggravated Assault and Resisting Arrest, but the charges were later dropped.
Despite Sergeant Pierce being placed on "indefinite suspension" for his actions, Dorshay says she has plans to sue the department. "I'm happy but I still would like to go forward with suing the police department, because I repeatedly told them… the rookie officer you're talking about, she closed my leg in the door. They ripped the Taser things out of my skin. It's just wrong."
In the FWPD statement, Chief Fitzgerald said the department had reached out to Dorshay, on multiple occasions, but that she had not responded.
