A Florida woman who was shot in the face with a rubber bullet during a Black Lives Matter protest two years ago has taken legal action.
On Tuesday, LaToya Ratlieff filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Fort Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, police officer Eliezer Ramos and several other officers, the Miami Herald is reporting.
“After two years of waiting, hoping, and asking, Fort Lauderdale has done little to ensure that what happened to me won’t happen to someone else,” Ratlieff told the Herald. “I now see that the only way to force reform is to hold them accountable in a court of law.”
Ratlieff’s lawsuit accuses the officers of violating her First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights as well as battery and negligence in the use of impact weapons, according to the report.
Ratlieff had been a peaceful protester during a demonstration in downtown Fort Lauderdale in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. She was not acting violent or aggressive when officer Ramos shot her in the face with a rubber bullet, fracturing her eye socket.
As reported previously by theGrio, body camera footage shows Florida police officers laughing and celebrating on May 31, 2020, after shooting rubber bullets at the protesters. Ratlieff suffered a fractured skull and required 20 stitches after she was struck just above the right eye.
The projectile caused “serious and permanent eye damage, neurological injuries, and other directly attributable physical and emotional injuries,” according to her 36-page court filing. She couldn’t eat for a week and had trouble seeing out of one blood-filled eye.
The incident prompted an investigation during which, the complaint notes, officials from internal affairs attempted to embarrass and intimidate Ratlieff. Ramos was ultimately cleared of accusations of misconduct, according to the Herald.
Several disturbing and graphic videos emerged from that protest. One, reported by the Associated Press, shows Ratlieff wearing a bright pink backpack, bending over and coughing from the tear gas. As she walks away, a shot is heard and Ratlieff crumples to the concrete with a bone-chilling cry.
“She’s hurt, she’s hurt. She’s bleeding,” a witness screams as several gathered around. Blood is seen pouring onto the ground.
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