Malika Calhoun Early Show Interview: Teen Discusses Police Beating (VIDEO)

This morning Julie Chen, of CBS' "The Early Show," interviewed Malika Calhoun about the shocking video showing her being beaten by Sheriff's Deputy Paul Schene in a jail cell in Seattle. Malika, who was initially arrested for auto theft, kicked her shoe at the deputy in a manner that does not appear to be very threatening before the deputy rushes in and kicks the teenage girl, slamming her to the floor and striking her and pulling her hair.

Deputy Schene has pleaded not guilty to assault charges. According to Chen, the deputies claim the girl was "real lippy" and called them "fat pigs." Malika says the deputies had attitude and were being rude to her, which is why she kicked off her shoe at the deputy, which does not appear to actually hit him. The deputy told her this was assaulting a police officer, and then charged in and began beating her.

Watch the interview from "The Early Show" below. Full transcript beneath the video.

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JULIE CHEN, CO-HOST: In Seattle, a sheriff's deputy has pleaded not guilty to charges he assaulted a 15-year-old girl last fall.

Prosecutors have released a surveillance video of the alleged assault.

A warning: The pictures you're about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN (voice-over): The video shows two King County sheriff's deputies escorting 15-year-old Malika Calhoun to a holding cell. When Deputy Paul Sheen (ph) asked the girl to remove her shoes, she's seen slipping out of her left shoe and kicking it at him. Sheen (ph) rushes into the cell, kicks the teen and pushes her against a corner wall before flinging her to the floor by her hair. He then squats down on Calhoun and hits her twice.

Deputies say the girl was, quote, "real lippy," and that she had called them, quote, "fat pigs." Paramedics were called after Calhoun had complained that she had difficulty breathing, but she did not require hospitalization. Calhoun and another 15-year-old girl were arrested after they were found in the other girl's mother's car, which had been reported stolen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: Joining us now for an exclusive interview, Malika Calhoun and her father, Curtiss. Good morning to you both.

MALIKA CALHOUN, POLICE BEATING VICTIM: Good morning.

CHEN: Malika, let me begin with you. What do you remember about the beating?

M. CALHOUN: I remember the way he just came in after I kicked my shoe off, and we were arguing back and forth all night since the arrest happened. And just...

CHEN: What were you arguing about back and forth all night?

M. CALHOUN: Just the way he was talking to me, and we were just, I don't know, he just had an attitude...

CHEN: Which was how?

M. CALHOUN: ... with everything.

CHEN: How was he talking to you when he arrested you?

M. CALHOUN: He was being -- just talking about us in rude ways, making rude comments about things, like, oh, you guys steal cars, and it wasn't

-- technically, we didn't steal the car. We were just borrowing my friend's mom's car without permission. We used it without permission.

CHEN: And then what was the exchange going on between you and the officer in the cell during the beating?

M. CALHOUN: He first, when he first came in, where I kicked the shoe off at him, and I was about to take my other one off, he said, you know, it's assaulting an officer. And that's when he charged in and started beating me. And I was yelling. I was like, this isn't -- I'm not resisting. I'm not resisting. And he said, whether you're resisting or not, that was assault.

Then he just kept doing it and kept going and going.

CHEN: Why did you kick the shoe off at him?

M. CALHOUN: Because my arms were folded, and I was upset with the way he was talking to me. And I was talking back to him. And I just took it off. And I was ready to take off my other shoe, and then that's what happened.

CHEN: Did the shoe hit him?

M. CALHOUN: No, it didn't hit him at all. I was standing in the inside of the door, and he was standing holding the door open. Didn't hit him, and he was saying that it made blood pockets and stuff, and it didn't even hit him at all.

CHEN: Tell me about the beating. How hard was it?

M. CALHOUN: It was horrible, like my head hit the wall when he first came in and kicked me. And then my head hit the wall in the back. And then he kept -- threw me to the ground, was pulling my hair constantly.

And it was just horrible.

CHEN: Were you screaming for him to stop?

M. CALHOUN: Yes. I said, I'm not resisting. I'm not resisting.

CHEN: And what did he say?

M. CALHOUN: He didn't say anything back until after, when I was like, I didn't resist. And he said, well, it was still assaulting an officer.

CHEN: Curtiss, let me turn to you. This video's so difficult to watch. What did you think the first time you saw it?

CURTISS CALHOUN, FATHER OF POLICE BEATING VICTIM: I didn't see it the first time until Friday evening, when I got home from work, and it was very disturbing. I didn't know it was this severe of an assault.

CHEN: What do you want to see happen to this officer? He's currently on administrative leave. If he's found guilty, he could spend one year behind bars. What do each of you want to see happen to this officer?

Curtiss?

C. CALHOUN: As far as what happens to him, I wouldn't like to see him work as a police officer anymore. I don't think that's the job for him, based on the way he reacted. Dealing with people, I don't think he can respond that way and still be an officer.

CHEN: Malika, in the last five seconds, what do you want to see happen to him?

M. CALHOUN: I just want to -- I don't know -- justice. I don't want this to happen to anyone else.

CHEN: Malika and Curtiss Calhoun, thank you.

M. CALHOUN: Thank you.

Comments

[Winleychase]

09:59 PM on 03/05/2009

[scottymac11]

10:44 PM on 03/03/2009

There is another clip of video from the hallway outside the cell. It shows these troglodytes taking her to the cell. It shows the shoe flopping out the door. There must be a video of them taking her out of the cell. They would have been facing the camera. Why don't they show that one? I think it might have been to horrible for the cretins if we saw the damage they caused and the pleasure on their faces for causing it.

[Steven Morgan]

08:45 PM on 03/03/2009

Here is some background information which may add some very worrisome context to this disturbing incident.
Over the last decade the United States has slipped from 2nd to 15th the UN Human Development Index(HDI). One of the reasons for this is that although the US has 5% of the world’s population the US has 25% of all people incarcerated. The HDI measures how likely people in a country will have long, healthy, dignified and happy lives. If you feel like the country has been moving in the wrong direction it is not paranoia but just rational observation and analysis which led you to this conclusion.
Around two thirds of the people incarcerated come from the black and Hispanic minority groups which make up around 25% of the population. This incident is just the tip of the iceberg of a systemic savagery directed at minorities by a foul legal system. What's more I live in Dallas where every other month some new murderer or rapist is exonerated by DNA evidence which the first ever black DA in Dallas is willing to use.
I hope some opportunistic and enterprising attorney takes this case and creatively manages to hammer Seattle with a settlement that is so spectacularly high it forces a systemic change. If slipping down the HDI is not reason enough to cause systemic change then perhaps a verdict of many tens of millions of dollars can focus the attention of the Seattle PD and political leaders on needed changes.

[FabulousAt52]

10:17 AM on 03/04/2009

A side note to your (excellent) post, Steven... One of the reasons we have so many people incarcerated is no doubt due to the "success" of the War On Drugs perpetrated unjustly against free citizens of this country for the last 30+ years.
There are many. many people sitting in JAIL or PRISON for nothing more than deciding to possess or use (not necessarily abuse) "illegal" substances-- without any harm or ill intent towards anyone else.
Somewhere along the line (during the Reagan administration and on), this government of ours decided it was our "Nanny" and proceeded to tell us how and when to eat, what and where to smoke, how and when to drink, and who doesn't deserve student loans, health insurance, car insurance, a driver's license, etc, if they break ANY of these laws, while driving or NOT.

They could also take away your home, your car, even your kids! and freeze your bank accounts if you were in possession of enough of an "illegal substance". What was enough? Ah... that is determined by individual states, individual cops and prosecutors and Judges. Nothing like living in a free democratic society, eh? Micro-managed by a government based on corporate / pharmaceutical / banksters and oil conglomerate GREED.

[BillMelater]

07:23 PM on 03/03/2009

This guy obviously lost it. He should minimally be fired and receive a very lengthy probation.

Police should be able to take verbal abuse, it is part of the job. If this girl had been seriously injured, which could have easily happened the way he through her into the wall, then he should get the max penalty. He is very lucky that she braced herself before hitting that wall.

All in all, this was a sorry display for law enforcement.

[tbone99]

05:37 PM on 03/03/2009

Par for the course if you live on the wrong side of town -
Our justice system is a mockery . there's no justice , there's just us....and them, with guns

[CEPHALUS]

04:07 PM on 03/03/2009

5 years for dishonoring the publics trust,5 years for assualting a minor.

[publicenemy2009]

03:54 PM on 03/03/2009

Fats pigs, yeah I said it now come and try that $hit on me. He was a bully who took advantage of a defenseless young girl. She probably told him of his little peni$, and the truth hit home. I hope this bully get sent up to the big house where we can see how really tough he is.

[msmajoke]

02:04 PM on 03/03/2009

Molly is right. All he had to do was wait a few more seconds to get the other shoe and close the door. I've worked with adult prisoners and kids both. Children are frontal lobe thinkers, meaning they rarely make rational decisions in these situations. However, they are rarely a threat to full grown men and women in a custody situation like this. He could have easily done permanent injury to her and therefore should be fired. Had he shut the door he could have waited for the for children services or juvenel authorities to pick her up and he would have had nothing more to do with her, however, he was bent on teaching her a lesson. That's unexcussable behavior for which he should be fired.

[ifeather]

02:01 PM on 03/03/2009

If it were an adult that was being jailed and getting lippy I could see how the officer could get fed up and react with force, but to a kid and a girl at that. I think the public should be concerned enough to at least see that the officer get some help. He definitely went to far in my opinion.

[checkmoot]

04:40 PM on 03/03/2009

Police officers are supposed to be able to take a little "lip", even from an adult. They are not entitled to beat the crap out of anyone because that person talks back. This should be treated the same as if a civilian had assaulted her, for the same reason. Being sassy. If even a parent slaps their child for disobedience or insolence they are arrested.

[tbone99]

05:39 PM on 03/03/2009

Being "lippy " does not qualify anyone paid for by taxpayer dollars to commit physical assault.

meanwhile the real criminals are getting billion dollar bonuses

[javaz]

01:53 PM on 03/03/2009

Don't worry.
The teen and her mommy and daddy will be millions richer from the police officer's reaction.
Odds are the young woman will continue to defy authority and with attitude, especially since the rewards are so high for behaving badly.

[petphotos]

02:27 PM on 03/03/2009

She should not get a penny. Her attitude will come back to bite her really bad. There are a lot of people that can cause her a lot of trouble and never break a law.

[ediva75]

02:46 PM on 03/03/2009

There is the code of being professional AT ALL TIMES. Regardless of the circumstances!! There was no excuse for doing that and going to that length of beating a kid even if they did cop an attitude. I am quite sure the race of both the child and cops were different there would be an outrage!!!!

Furthermore if this was your kid or anyone you know who were treated like this you would be wanting the book thrown at them so shut up with your nonsense!!

[tbone99]

05:40 PM on 03/03/2009

Its the cops that have a lesson to learn here - unfortunately the taxpayers will have to pay it for them.

[chrispychilla28]

01:42 PM on 03/03/2009

The same cop that beat her shot 2 people last year and killed one of them...That isn't the first time this guy broke the law you can bet on that.

[knowhelpnow]

01:32 PM on 03/03/2009

This is what gives the police a bad image and if his fellow policemen stand behind this and he isn't jailed for assault it is just one more thing that people will not forget. The police are their to protect us for the bad guys, it seems that the bad and the good are getting mixed up.

[dausone]

01:19 PM on 03/03/2009

Throw the shoe at him, so to speak.

[chonus]

05:54 PM on 03/03/2009

heh.

[OMG1109]

01:11 PM on 03/03/2009

My child falls, gets hurt, I rush her to the hospital.......guess who gets grilled for possible child abuse by the POLICE, ME. Why are these officers still on the JOB !!!!!!!!!!!!!???

[Insideman]

12:52 PM on 03/03/2009

Think about how many other assults/crimes these cops are commiting that are not recorded....makes you wonder.