UPDATE: Recently released bodycam footage reveals shocking details of a Merrillville woman’s arrest that her lawyer claims involved excessive force, leading to a miscarriage three months later. The footage shows Shikeia Randolph, 31, pleading with officers during the incident, which occurred at a gas station in Gary, Indiana, on June 5, 2023.
The video, obtained through public records, captures the moment two deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department forcibly removed Randolph from her vehicle, despite her protestation that she was pregnant. The alarming footage shows Randolph yelling, “I’m (expletive) pregnant!” as officers pull her from her red Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Randolph’s attorney, Matthew Custardo, argues that this incident is not an isolated case but indicative of a broader pattern of misconduct within the department, citing “inadequate training” and “failure to implement effective accountability measures.” A federal lawsuit was filed two months ago in the U.S. District Court in Hammond, alleging that the traffic stop was unjustified and escalated unnecessarily.
According to court documents, the traffic stop at approximately 3:24 a.m. was initially claimed to be for a minor issue involving a license plate cover, but quickly spiraled when officers discovered a school truancy warrant against her. As the situation escalated, the footage shows Randolph pleading for her children’s safety, who were in the vehicle at the time.
In the video, officers instructed her to call someone to take care of her four children, warning her they would have to involve child protective services if she did not comply. “Call CPS for what?” Randolph responds, confused about the situation. Inside the police car, she reveals her struggles with parenting and a recent pregnancy.
The arrest itself, which happened roughly 12 minutes into the footage, is disturbingly captured as officers pull her from the vehicle while her children can be heard crying in the background. “Get out of the (expletive) car,” one officer shouts, as Randolph clings to the steering wheel in desperation.
Following the incident, Randolph experienced a miscarriage, which her lawyer links directly to the stress and trauma of the arrest. The emotional burden of watching the footage with her mother was profound, as Randolph described hearing her children’s cries as “very emotional.” “It matches the exact story I’ve been telling for so long,” she stated.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department has declined to comment on the specifics of this incident, citing ongoing litigation. Officer Peter Hamady, who initiated the traffic stop, is named in the lawsuit, but his attorney, Casey McCloskey, has denied the claims, arguing that his actions were “objectively reasonable” and protected under qualified immunity.
Randolph’s case is set for a pretrial hearing on August 15, but additional charges against her and her fiancé complicate matters, as they were cited for resisting law enforcement during a separate incident on May 25, 2023.
As this case unfolds, it raises critical questions about police conduct, the treatment of individuals during arrests, and the broader implications for community trust in law enforcement. The public response has been intense, with calls for accountability and reform echoing across social media platforms.
Stay tuned for ongoing coverage of this urgent situation as more details emerge.
