Chandler woman claims she was handcuffed, arrested while naked - CBS 5 - KPHO

A Valley woman is filing a lawsuit against two Chandler police officers and the Chandler Police Department, claiming her rights were violated when an officer came into her home and placed her in handcuffs while she had no clothes on.

"I felt like nothing," Esmeralda Rossi said. "I felt unhuman. I felt like I didn’t matter. I felt like I had no value to these people."

Rossi says the officers responded to her home back in March to talk to her about a domestic situation involving her ex.

Rossi was in the shower when her daughter told her the two officers were at the door. She said she was wearing only a towel when she raced to the door. 

Rossi said officer Doug Rose was nice -- at first. But the situation began to deteriorate.

“I said, 'You know what? You're making me very uncomfortable. I'm gonna get my daughter to record what’s happening because something’s not right here,'" Rossi recalled.

The mother closed the door and went to get her 15-year-old daughter. That's when she heard “boots” behind her.

"He said, 'If you take another step forward, I’m going to arrest you,'" Rossi said.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Rossi said Rose began lecturing her about the case involving her ex, warning her to stay away from his house.

On the cell phone, you hear Rossi say, "I heard you the first time. I don’t need you to tell me the second. I’m not dumb."

That’s when Rose threatened to take her to jail.

The cellphone video captures Rossi screaming, pleading with the officer not to touch her. You can hear her begging to be allowed to put some clothes on.

Rossi said her towel fell, exposing the front of her naked body. She said tried to cover herself, but Rose would not allow her to. She said he forced her to look him in the eyes.

She said the other officer stood by and did nothing.

"They’re not even trying to shy away or respect the fact that I’m naked," Rossi said. "They’re just straight looking at me."

Eventually, you hear Rose ask if Rossi has any clothes on at all. When Rossi said she did not, the other officer on scene told her 15-year-old daughter to get her some clothing.

A few minutes later, the officers left without taking Rossi into custody.

Rossi filed a complaint with the department. The results of an internal investigation found that Rose entered the home illegally, and intentionally failed to document several key aspects of the incident in his police reports, including the arrest and unarrest.

The full supplemental report can be found here.

Before the investigation was submitted to Rose’s chain of command, he retired from the police force.

"I wanted him fired," Rossi said. "I didn’t want him having a pension. I didn’t think he deserved one."

Rossi’s attorney expects to file a civil suit within the next week.

Calls and emails to the Chandler Police Department for comment were not immediately returned.

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