Accusations of Paso Robles police abuse
Paso’s cop headache
Learn about the former Paso Robles police officer they won’t talk about
2011-After more than a year, the wounds on Rodia Monterrosobragg’s arms haven’t healed.
Monterrosobragg, who likes to go by the name Rodi Bragg, still doesn’t quite understand what happened to her on a hot summer afternoon in Paso Robles. Nor does she know what she did that was enough to earn her the scars that mar her forearms.
Her skin is now warped and discolored, and will likely never be normal again. Over the last year, Bragg’s been to doctors to help heal the burns she received last summer. She’s been to a therapist and was told she was exhibiting signs of anxiety, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She’s even trying to move out of the state because of the ordeal.
Her scars are a haunting reminder of what happened on July 30, 2010, and it was all because of a stolen bottle of water.
Officer Jeffry Bromby hit the lights, blared his siren, and began splitting afternoon downtown traffic in Paso Robles. On that sunny summer day, Bromby was racing his cruiser to a grocery store on a report of a shoplifter who was being combative with employees.
This is all according to a police report Bromby filed after the incident and a video recording taken from his patrol car obtained by New Times.
Bromby charged down the center turn lane as he rushed to the call, zipping around cars, at one point appearing to almost collide with an oblivious motorist. He eventually slammed his car to a halt just in front of a scene where a few store employees and a private security guard were standing over Bragg who sat on the ground, her hands pressed in front of her, pleading to the people who caught her.
Bromby got out of his car and pulled Bragg to her feet. His first words to Bragg were that he needed to place her hands behind her back and in handcuffs.
“I need my shoes,” Bragg said as she made for the curb.
Bromby had control of Bragg, with a firm grip on her wrist restraints, but he yanked her back violently.
“You know what … you’re gonna go down again,” he said.
Seemingly without provocation, Bromby grabbed Bragg by the back of her neck and threw her to the ground. Even the onlookers appeared uncomfortable, tense and shuffling awkwardly as if they wanted to interfere but were unsure whether they could when a cop was involved.
At 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, Bromby is a solidly built man with a clean-shaven head, as well as about 7 inches and 70 pounds on Bragg, who was 21 years old at the time.
According to court records filed by Bragg’s public defender, the temperature that day hit 93 degrees. And Bromby had Bragg face down, bare armed, lying on asphalt that had been baking in the afternoon sun. Despite her asking to be let up numerous times, he held her there.
“OK, well maybe you’ll learn,” Bromby responded to Bragg’s pleas.
Bragg continued to squirm and begged to be allowed off the ground.
“Please—officer please—this is really hot,” she said.
“Well, maybe you would’ve not done what you did,” he told her.
Read the complete story at New Times SLO.
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