$1 million settlement brings little relief

Karla Goodrow remembers feeling calm as police officers slapped handcuffs on her wrists for being drunk in public at a Hawthorne party.

[LA Person]

Shame-Shame-Shame on you Denise Nix...I thought of you as a rather "fair" reporter before this piece of biased cr*p! Shame-Shame-Shame on the editor for letting this story come through so slanted!

[Observer]

First of all no one should ever get in the way of the police trying to do their job. Just let them do their job. Miss Goodrow was wrong in the first place for telling the officer what he could and could not do. This article seems too biased, and I wonder if the Goodrows have prior police records.

[TJZ]

Another Daily Sleeze article.

[Dude]

At least PRETEND to not be anti-police!

[Wondering]

Why do some of you think the police got a bad deal on this?
First, the Officer in fact has NO right to enter the home absent exigent circumstances, a warrant or permission. So Ms Goodrow was actually correct in her statement.
Second, a citizens arrest for drunk in public? This tells me that the woman was not drunk in the presence of the police, as a citizens arrest is only needed for a misdemeanor NOT committed in the presence of the Officer.

[Mathew]

Much of this could have been avoided if you had a more experienced Police Chief. Mr. Hefner should have known better when his son was being accused of misconduct and shipped the investigation out to an objective party, like the Sheriff's Department. However, what do you expect? He is Mayor Guidi's and the City Manger's boy, promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Chief, by passing Lieutenants and Captains because he is a puppet. Hawthorne PD lacks respect of the entire law enforcement community.

[taxpayer]

Right or Wrong, does anyone else think that a Million Dollars seems like,,, Too Much?

[bjv]

A MILLION DOLLARS for that incident? Yikes! Way too much in my opinion, and it still "brings little relief." Well, give some of it back then.

[Co worker]

Keith are you still upset your not the Chief!

Mathew wrote:

Much of this could have been avoided if you had a more experienced Police Chief. Mr. Hefner should have known better when his son was being accused of misconduct and shipped the investigation out to an objective party, like the Sheriff's Department. However, what do you expect? He is Mayor Guidi's and the City Manger's boy, promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Chief, by passing Lieutenants and Captains because he is a puppet. Hawthorne PD lacks respect of the entire law enforcement community.

[Steve]

Black Panther wrote:

The cops deserve what they got, all cops are scum

Are you that clue-less? The cops didn't get anything, the good citizens of Hawthorne have had to foot the bill for the trial and the settlement. I'm sure you are like a lot of people who are accepted for jury panels, they just think the money falls from the sky.

[Co worker]

all the 10-29 stopped with our new cheif,and the
10-94 guess who...

[shameful]

no big deal, hawthorne has plenty of $, WHAT A JOKE! That city is poor, just drive thru it, windows up & don't stop.

Bet the first thing the $ grubbers do is move from that hole of a city.

[Jawbreaker]

taxpayer wrote:

Right or Wrong, does anyone else think that a Million Dollars seems like,,, Too Much?

Well, have someone break your jaw and deny you medical attention for a few hours, pay the medical bill and see if a million dollars is not enough?

[oh boy]

Got love police SERVE and PROTECT... Where and when does the Protect part come in...

[carson ca]

All of you that thinks that the Goodrows did something wrong. Then you're crazy. Apparently they didn't, don't you think if they really did this would have been brought out. You have some good police like you do bad ones, some crooked and some straight. Just because they were a badge does not mean crap. It should but doesn't. Just like all the injustice that went on in Orange County under Mike Corona (not sure of the spelling of his last name). But look all of his dirt that was covered up for years. I think it goes deeper then the surface with a lot of these cases. A lot of times police are trying to make a point or knowing that they can cover up their tracks. But when you get a good legal team that can break down all of the details, that’s when the cookie crumbles.

I don't feel because she made an open statement that denoted an arrest. People say crap all the time and I would not consider that interfering with police business.

Sometimes we see thing lopsided when it’s not our family or friends. And by the way readers... I have never been in trouble with the law and I'm 44 years old!

[crazzyyy]

Cry me an f'ing river......Dont go to Ghetto Hawthorne, NOTHING GOOD comes out of gang banging DOTY....I wont even drive down that street in day light, cant imagine driving there at night.....A million dollars, please, u were not having nightmares, YOU were seeing big green $$$$$ signs, give it a rest......Haw. PD keep on keeping on, eventually maybe we can run all these low life thugs out of town!!!

[Mitchell]

Good article.

The police are a vital part of our society but they are not above the law. The Goodrows sound like a couple of zeros but were probably justified in this case.$1M, however? Yikes - someone make sure that the Goodrows aren't sending campaign contributions to Guidi, Lambert, and Catano - that would be typical of these kind of sleeze they pull.

Heffner needs to go. The guy is a total amateur, not much of a leader, and probably a bit of a jackbooted thug as well.

[Police Misconduct]

Goodrow will suffer in pain for the rest of his life. He was hancuffed while he was kicked in the face. He had no prior criminal record. A million dollars is a paltry sum for the physical and mental suffering he must endure.

When ever you generalize, you are unfair. This was a specific incident with specific wrong doing, by specific officers. There was an attempt to cover it up. The cover up can't happen without the approval of management.

Take away from this case what you will. But stupid comments based on racism just adds to the problem. For those of you prone to making such comments, don't call me when you get your beating!

[LJ Gibbs]

The police didn't have the right to go into the house after the homeowner? For all the cops knew that person could have been going in after a weapon.

Sounds like Monday morning quarterbacking around here.

[Wrong]

Wondering wrote:

Why do some of you think the police got a bad deal on this?
First, the Officer in fact has NO right to enter the home absent exigent circumstances, a warrant or permission. So Ms Goodrow was actually correct in her statement.

Try again. Ms. Goodrow was in no position to judge one way or another whether there were circumstances that gave the officer a valid reason or permission to enter the apartment. Goodrow was walking back from the store. There might have been something in view of the officer that was illegal or the owner might have given him permission to go in.

Of course, she calls the guy a f*g or something like that and gets cuffed. They her d#ckhead of a future husband gets physical with the cops. Great.

Sometimes police will datain people in cuffs for a moment then let them go when they have no reason to arrest them.

I've been stopped by cops on more than one occasion. I've been to several parties that the cops broke up.

Somehow, I have managed to stay out of handcuffs.

Why? Because I didn't yell "f*g" at or try to get physical with a cop.

This woman was a moron, and her husband is a d*ckhead.