Desseria B. Whitmore

Less-than-lethal force

Whitmore died after being stopped for suspicion of drug possession at Sea-Tac Airport. When security screeners spotted a pipe in her purse, they investigated. Airport police were called in, but she tried to walk away. An officer grabbed her arm to bring her back, and an airport spokesman said she resisted, flailing her arms and fighting. It took three officers to finally handcuff her, and one of them pinned her to a table with his leg while the handcuffs went on. But Whitmore had swallowed a plastic bag of something in the meantime. Officers couldn't get her to spit it back up. She died at the site.