A mother is suing the city of Santa Fe, Texas, and the police department after officers allegedly held her with her face in a nest of red ants after handcuffing her.
Taylor Rogers claims she was “tortured” by Santa Fe Police Department officers while carrying her 9-year-old son to school on the morning of August 19, 2021, according to reports from The Independent.
Taylor Rogers was allegedly held on the ground with his face in a nest of red ants by Santa Fe police officers on the morning of August 19, 2021.
Capture taken from Santa Fe police officer’s body camera video | CNN
“Ants are on my face, please!” he can be heard shouting in a video from one of the police officers’ body cameras published by CNN. “How can you do this to me? Ants are on my face! Please let go of me!”
The mother was stopped by the police because she allegedly made an illegal U-turn in the parking lot of her boy’s school.
Taylor Rogers was going to carry her 9-year-old son to school before being arrested by Santa Fe police
Capture taken from CNN
Ms. Rogers then claims to have been kicked out of her vehicle, with her child still in the car, then handcuffed to the ground.
At a press conference last Saturday, the woman accompanied by her lawyer announced the lawsuit filed against the City while showing photos of the skin rashes that allegedly followed the arrest.
His face was reportedly covered with red marks and pustules due to the ant bites.
Taylor Rogers showed a photo at a press conference of her face reportedly covered in red marks and pustules from ant bites
Capture taken from CNN
“Taylor Rogers was not arrested by Sante Fe police for any reason,” his attorney said. She was thrown to the ground in a nest of fire ants in broad daylight before being held down while she screamed.”
“Is this torture? he asked afterwards. Yes, it’s a powerful word, but I call it torture. When the police hold you in a nest of red ants and you scream, but they don’t react, what do you call that?
Sante Fe Police Version
However, the Sante Fe police refute this version of the facts. Based on comments from one of the officers – now the police chief – who was on scene at the time of the incident, the video of the arrest does not tell the full story.
Santa Fe Police Chief Ruben Espinoza told CNN in an interview that the woman “was treated with respect and professionalism. She was not abused. There were no ants from our perspective.”
Asked about the time the woman spent on the ground, Mr. Espinoza maintained that she would have been picked up “after a few seconds, not a moment later,” after indicating that ants were attacking her.
Sante Fe Police Chief Ruben Espinoza gave his version of the facts in an interview with CNN
Capture taken from CNN
According to The Independentthe police chief also revealed on the American channel KHOU 11 that Ms. Rogers was furious when the officers relieved her.
“When I got the description of the vehicle, I already knew who it was,” explained Mr. Espinoza, referring to the mother’s car on the morning of the intervention. So I approached the intersection and observed Ms. Rogers running away.”
“She also passed a car on the grass shoulder on the right side when I tried to intercept her,” he added. She did not put her vehicle in reverse and she fled.”
According to Ms. Rogers, she would not have stopped because she would have been frightened by the police since one of them would have pointed a gun at her.
