KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasFamily of Dragged Woman File Lawsuit

Family of Dragged Woman File Lawsuit

(Sept. 29) -- A woman being dragged through a Las Vegas casino a year ago made national news. Eyewitness News first brought you the story of Paula Sadoff and her claims that excessive force was used by police to remove her from the casino. Now Paula Sadoff is dead and the story is getting more complicated.

The surveillance video shows Paula Sadoff bring dragged through the lobby of Palace Station and down the stairs. It was an incident, she said, that changed her life forever. "My hand is completely deformed. It won't be the same again." Paula spoke to Eyewitness News month ago, before she passed away.

Sandoff's attorney, Brent Bryson, said, "She went to sleep on the 16th and never woke up."

The Sandoff's filed a $4 million lawsuit last month against Metro Police and Palace Station alleging officers used excessive force. "They slammed me against the car and then dropped me right on my knee caps in handcuffs," Paula Sadoff said.

Now that she has died, the Sandoff family attorney says he plans to amend the lawsuit, alleging wrongful death and possibly modifying the monetary amount.

While Paula did suffer from a heart murmur, her attorney says the stress of the incident played a role in her death. "We believe that the Palace Station incident exacerbated any pre-existing condition she had."

The injuries Paula received at Palace Station left her in a wheelchair and forced her into rehabilitation. Her attorney says her health and mobility were improving before she died.

Metro Police had no comment, except to say in part quote, "The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department takes this matter very seriously. We have undertaken an internal investigation, which is ongoing. Our policy is to litigate our cases in the court room as opposed to the press."

Paula and her husband Robert were both arrested for domestic assault that night at Palace Station. The charges were later dropped.

Brent Bryson says, "It's kind of sad that Paula won't be here to see for herself the results of the case."

The Metro officer involved in the incident is still on duty, but an internal Metro investigation is underway.