HOUSTON – A woman who claims a Harris County Sheriff’s deputy used a Taser on her multiple times while she was in a wheelchair held a news conference with lawyers on Wednesday to discuss HCSO and the lawsuit she has filed against the county and the deputies involved.
At particular issue for Sheketha Holman -- the woman who filed the lawsuit -- is the suspension and reinstatement of one of the named deputies, Rawltyn Hart, who was cited multiple times for failing to turn on his body camera and other infractions. In particular, Holman’s lawyers cited something they found while working on the lawsuit -- that Hart had a loaded gun inside his patrol vehicle with a scratched off serial number, according to official documents from HCSO circulated by Holman’s lawyers. The gun to authorities appeared to be a “throw-down” gun which is used to justify law enforcement intervention.
Despite the incidents, Hart was reinstated on May 19, his termination rescinded and his punishment downgraded to 10-day suspension without pay.
“I just think you’re a coward to take advantage of people that mean you no harm, someone that is trying to stand up for their rights and the rights of their loved ones,” Holman said. “... I just think that you took the law into your own hands and did whatever you felt like and you’re trying to cover it up with excessive force or turning off your body cam, but not only that, but God sees you as well. ... (The lawsuit is) so they know that they can’t do this to someone else.”
Holman’s lawsuit claims on Nov. 16, 2016, Holman received a call that her pregnant daughter was being slammed against a car at a Valero station on Northborough Road.
Holman claims she called 911 and that she asked police to protect her daughter from whomever was assaulting her at the gas station. When Holman arrived at the scene, she claims in the lawsuit that authorities were holding her daughter against the police car and that they ignored her. Holman got out of her car with help from a person at the gas station and then was ordered to leave by authorities. As she claims she tried to leave, she began writing down what the deputy was saying and she claims the deputy took her phone, threw it and ordered another deputy to arrest her.
Holman claims she was held with her arms behind her back and then a Taser was used on her multiple times until she was shocked out of her wheelchair. She claims in the lawsuit that she was left on the ground until EMS arrived – without intervention from the other law enforcement at the scene.
Holman said the district attorney’s office dropped all charges against her.
KPRC 2 is reaching out to the Harris County authorities for comment. The Harris County District Attorney’s office said they had “no comment” on the lawsuit. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said, “Because this case is the subject of litigation, we’re unable to comment and must refer you to the County Attorney’s Office.”
Holman’s lawyer said the lawsuit is headed toward mediation soon and possibly toward trial in a couple of months.
Watch the full news conference in the video above as soon as it can be processed by KPRC 2.