A Houston-area woman said police held her down in a fire ant pile during an arrest in 2021. The woman, Taylor Rogers, is now suing the city and officers involved in the arrest.
Santa Fe ISD Police — who initiated the arrest in a school parking lot — have refuted the woman’s claims, saying there were no ants. Rogers claims her civil rights were violated and said she suffers from mental illness in the lawsuit.
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The altercation took place in August 2021 after Rogers allegedly tried to make an illegal turn into an elementary school parking lot and drove the wrong way down the road. When school and city police tried to pull her over, Rogers fled — something she pleaded guilty to.
Rogers was eventually stopped by authorities.
Rogers’ attorney, Randall Kallinen, released a clip of body cam footage of the arrest, showing Rogers screaming for help.
“Ants are on my face, ants are getting on my face,” Rogers said in the video.
According to the lawsuit, an officer “twisted [Rogers’] leg with excessive force, hog tied her and buried her face in a pile of fire ants leaving the plaintiff’s face and body in excruciating pain.”
The Santa Fe ISD Police Chief Ruben Espinoza told KHOU in Houston that the snippet the attorney provided is misleading.
“They stop the clip they provided to you when the officer says calm down and we will lift you up,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza gave a still frame of body cam footage to news outlets, saying it shows there were no fire ants when Rogers was being handcuffed.
The city of Santa Fe investigated the incident back in 2021 and found the officers involved had acted “appropriately in the situation.”
As part of the civil suit, Rogers wants the officers to be disciplined and for the city to provide additional de-escalating training.
The city says it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
[KARAH RUCKER]
THIS IS TAYLOR ROGERS.
AND THIS IS ROGERS – COVERED IN ANT BITES –
AFTER SHE SAYS POLICE WERE ARRESTING HER –
AND HELD HER DOWN IN AN ANT PILE.
SANTA FE ISD POLICE – WHO INITIATED THE ARREST IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT –
ARE REFUTING THE WOMAN’S CLAIMS –
SAYING – THERE WERE NO ANTS.
ROGERS – WHO SAYS SHE SUFFERS FROM MENTAL ILLNESS – CLAIMS HER CIVIL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED AND IS SUING.
THE ALTERCATION HAPPENED IN AUGUST OF 2021 –
AFTER ROGERS ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO MAKE AN ILLEGAL TURN INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARKING LOT – DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE WRONG WAY.
SCHOOL POLICE AND CITY POLICE TRIED TO PULL HER OVER.
AND ROGERS FLED – SOMETHING SHE PLEADED GUILTY TO.
IT’S WHAT FOLLOWED AFTER ROGERS WAS EVENTUALLY STOPPED BY AUTHORITIES THAT SHE AND POLICE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF EVENTS.
ROGERS’ ATTORNEY RELEASED A CLIP OF BODY CAM FOOTAGE OF THE ARREST.
SHOWING ROGERS SCREAMING FOR HELP.
[ROGERS]
“ANTS ARE ON MY FACE, ANTS ARE GETTING ON MY FACE.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT – AN OFFICER “TWISTED ROGER’S (PLAINTIFF’S) LEG WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, HOG TIED HER AND BURIED HER FACE IN A PILE OF FIRE ANTS LEAVING HER (THE PLAINTIFFS’) FACE AND BODY IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN.”
THE SANTA FE ISD POLICE CHIEF – TOLD KHOU IN HOUSTON – THE SNIPPET THE ATTORNEY PROVIDED IS MISLEADING.
[SANTA FE ISD POLICE CHIEF RUBEN ESPINOZA]
“THEY STOP THE CLIP THEY PROVIDED TO YOU. AND THE OFFICER SAYS CALM DOWN AND WE WILL LIFT YOU UP.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
THE SCHOOL POLICE CHIEF GAVE **THIS PICTURE TO NEWS OUTLETS –
SAYING “THERE WERE NO FIRE ANTS WHEN ROGERS WAS BEING HANDCUFFED”.
THE CITY OF SANTA FE INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT BACK IN 2021 –
AND FOUND THE OFFICERS INVOLVED – FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT – HAD ACTED **APPROPRIATELY IN THE SITUATION.
AS PART OF THE CIVIL SUIT –
ROGERS WANTS THE OFFICERS TO BE DISCIPLINED AND FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL “DE-ESCALATING TRAINING.”
THE CITY SAYS IT DOESN’T COMMENT ON PENDING LITIGATION.
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