The 98-year-old Kansas newspaper owner chided police by calling her “a*****” and asking if her mother loved her as she verbally abused her during a search of her home – a day before she died in the middle sentence died.
Joan Meyer’s home was searched Aug. 11 when Marion County police were executing a search warrant as part of an identity theft investigation — a warrant later overturned by the district attorney.
“Don’t touch any of this,” the Marion County Record co-owner told police in the newly released footage. ‘This is my house. You dumbass!’
Joan’s son Eric Meyer has claimed that his mother, a longtime journalist, died “traumatized” the day after the raid as a result of the incident.
It was reported that the entire police investigation was linked to a story in which the newspaper investigated allegations that Police Chief Gideon Cody resigned from his previous job to avoid punishment over alleged sexual misconduct allegations.
Police also searched the newspaper’s office and the home of one of its reporters. They took away essential publishing equipment, including computers and phones.
New footage of a raid on Joan Meyer’s home shows the hot-tempered 98-year-old throwing words at police mid-sentence just a day before she died
Meyer’s newspaper was reportedly investigating claims that Police Chief Gideon Cody (right) resigned from his previous job to avoid punishment over alleged sexual misconduct allegations
In the new video – released by Marion County Record – the woman at one point rolls her walker straight at an officer and tells him to wait outside.
“Did your mother ever love you?” Joan asks the police officer in the video, which racked up more than 23,000 views within hours.
‘Get out of my house. “They are trespassing,” she says to the man.
At least six officers search Joan’s home and sort through her belongings as she repeatedly tells them to leave.
“I don’t want you in my house,” she says.
Two officers try to placate the woman in the first minute of the video released by the newspaper, while the other four continue the search.
She even tries to stop the men and refuses to answer their questions. When asked how many computers she has, she replies, “I won’t tell you.”
“I want to see what they’re doing,” Joan says while trying to walk around the couch to see what the officers are seeing.
Interacting with the police in her own home was so unsettling that she died in the middle of a conversation the next day.
She reportedly refused to eat, sleep or drink after the raid and eventually died of sudden cardiac arrest on August 12, according to a coroner’s report.
In the new video – released by Marion County Record – the woman at one point rolls her walker straight at an officer and tells him to wait outside
She even tries to stop the men and refuses to answer their questions. When asked how many computers she has, she replies, “I won’t tell you.”
Joan’s son Eric Meyer (pictured) has claimed that his mother, a longtime journalist, died “traumatized” the day after the raid as a result of the incident
Officials with the Marion Police Department claimed the raid was conducted because of “identity theft” concerns.
However, many have speculated that the raids stemmed from the Meyers’ investigation into 54-year-old Cody.
He became chief in late April after leaving the Kansas City Police Department after 24 years in office following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Marion County Record received a “barrage of calls,” said Eric Meyer, claiming Cody resigned from his last police post to avoid a demotion over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Meyer said his newspaper was contacted by Cody’s former colleagues about the allegations of sexual misconduct, but the more than six anonymous sources ultimately never became public and reporters were unable to obtain Cody’s personnel file.
The Kansas City Police Department has declined to disclose whether Cody has been accused of sexual misconduct while working for their police force.
Meyer said the sources’ identities resided on the computer servers that Cody’s team seized.
“I’m afraid maybe that has something to do with it, but when people come and confiscate your computer, you tend to get a little paranoid,” Meyer told The Handbasket.
Eric Meyer stands outside the Marion County Record office, which was also searched
Gideon Cody took over as head of the Marion County Police Department in April. The newspaper investigated evidence that he retired from the Kansas City Police Department to avoid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct
He told the Kansas City Star that they had not yet released the story because they had not yet completed their investigation.
“We didn’t release it because we couldn’t get it to the point where we thought it was ready for release,” Meyer said.
‘[Cody] didn’t know who our sources were. He is now.’
And Meyer told the AP, “That’s the kind of thing that Vladimir Putin does that Third World dictators do.”
“These are Gestapo tactics from World War II,” Eric said.
The Marion County Police Department said Saturday that it was committed to complying with the law, without addressing the substance of the raid.
“The Marion Kansas Police Department believes that the primary responsibility of the police force is to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of the public,” the department wrote on Facebook.
“This engagement must remain steadfast and impartial, unaffected by political or media influences, to uphold the principles of justice, equal protection and the rule of law for all in the community.”
“The victim is demanding that we do whatever the law permits to ensure justice is served.” “The Marion Kansas Police Department will do no otherwise.”
The moment police using “Hitler tactics” raided the Marion County Record newsroom was caught on camera – just a day before the newspaper’s co-owner died
The raids began after the newspaper was given leaked documents about local restaurateur Kari Newell, which could have resulted in her alcohol license being revoked.
Meyer didn’t release the story about Newell because he questioned the source — and instead told police about the information.
Newell then accused the weekly of illegally obtaining her personal information, prompting the search.
She was also reportedly unhappy with the newspaper’s account of Newell kicking reporters out of an event at her restaurant, Kari’s Restaurant.
Meyer told the Kansas City Star, “We sent them a message that a source had given us a file that we believed was of suspicious origin.”
“We checked it to make sure it was correct, but had no intention of doing anything with it.” Her reaction was typical bully manner.
“Rather than ask a question or get supplies, they came with a nuclear fly swatter to confiscate our equipment and apparently tried to put us out of business.”
As anger grew over the raid on the newspaper, the search warrant authorizing a high-profile raid on a local newspaper’s headquarters and the home of its co-owner was withdrawn.
All of the confiscated items from the Marion County Record were turned over to the newspaper’s attorney – five days after they were seized by police.
Marion County District Attorney Joel Ensey ruled earlier this month that there was “insufficient evidence” to justify issuing a search warrant in the first place.
Despite the lack of equipment, the Marion County Record successfully went to press Wednesday – with the front page reading: “Seized… but not silenced.”