(NBC News) A 92-year-old woman says she’s burned, bruised and struggling to sleep after she was handcuffed during a traffic stop in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Dorothy Friedenreich was driving back from the store when she turned onto her street in the Spanish Wells Country Club.
“Happy as a clam coming home,” she says.
She was getting close to her house when she saw flashing lights behind her. She says what happened next makes her struggle to sleep at night.
“Oh, it hurt. It sure did. He burned me, he burned my arms,” she says. “It’s like a nightmare, it’s like am I dreaming this, did this really happen to me?”
Dorothy says the deputy followed her to her house. After he asked for her license, the deputy is accused of putting scorching hot handcuffs on her as he questioned her about a rolling stop.
After the encounter, EMS came and bandaged her up. She went to urgent care earlier this week, and her arms are still bandaged nine days later.
Sheriff Marceno does not believe the deputy used compassion and common sense during the incident. He was notified about the traffic stop Wednesday morning, called a staff meeting, and put the deputy on administrative leave.
“We have failed you and we will make it right. The officer acted inappropriately. The sheriff’s department came here and apologized,” Sheriff Marceno said.
The deputy will not return to work until an internal investigation is complete and the sheriff believes the deputy meets the standards he demands. Because of this incident, the sheriff has ordered enhanced training for his deputies.
