FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman who was left bloodied by a rubber bullet during a police protest is getting an apology.
She said it’s the first time anyone from the city has said sorry for what happened to her.
LaToya Ratlieff was heard in a video from last May the moment her eye got struck by a Fort Lauderdale Police officer’s rubber bullet during a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Her eye socket was broken, which required months of treatment.
“I still have some vision issues, specifically some of my upper vision. I still have trouble driving at night. I’m still thankful because it could’ve been me losing my entire eye,” Ratlieff said.
Ratlieff was one of hundreds protesting George Floyd’s murder. The protest began peacefully but quickly escalated.
For eight months, Ratlieff had been asking the City of Fort Lauderdale for an apology.
She said she finally got it on Wednesday from Commissioner Ben Sorensen.
“I just felt like it was appropriate to reach out and see how she’s doing and talk with her about working together to improve police reform,” Sorensen said.
“There was a sense of humanity in there and a sense of kindness that I felt with Commissioner Sorensen that was very welcoming. This is the first time, especially a heartfelt apology, like Commissioner Sorenson did today,” Ratlieff said.
The two spoke at length about police reforms, including increased access to information by a civilian review board, increased monitoring of body cam video and more mental health resources for officers.
“We’ve established a 24/7 hotline for concerns, complaints that members of the community can call at any time. Those were just some of the components,” Sorensen said.
The investigation into Ratlieff’s incident is ongoing and her long-term prognosis is unclear, but both feel that the conversation was a good start.
“I truly have someone that wants to listen. I don’t want to say just listen to me but listen to us, listen to the community organizer, listen to the community that sometimes feels left out of this conversation,” Ratlieff said.
No decision has been made on whether Ratlieff plans to sue the city of Fort Lauderdale, as she remains focused on police reform.
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